Tens of thousands of anti-vaccine pass protestors took to the streets in Paris for the fifth successive weekend against the new rules after it was launched despite fierce opposition.
French President Emmanuel Macron sees the health pass - which essentially makes vaccination mandatory in order to carry on with routine activities like sipping a coffee in a cafe or travelling on a train - as the key to emerging from the pandemic and avoiding further lockdowns.
But protesters - an eclectic mix of far-right, yellow vest anti-inequality activists, anti-vaxxers and civil liberties campaigners - say that the policy encroaches on the basic freedoms so prized by the French.
Two separate protests were taking place in Paris - in a sign of the inability of the protesters to fully unite - with slogans like 'free France!', 'stop the corona-madness' or 'yes to the freedom to choose' being chanted and brandished.
Head of right-wing party 'Les Patriotes' Floriant Philippot lead one of the marches under a banner reading 'Freedom' in Paris on Saturday, with 250,000 protesters expected to take to the streets nationwide.
Authorities were set to get tougher on the mandatory health pass for entering restaurants, trains and public places.
From this week, citizens have been required to show the pass in public places, proving that they have been vaccinated or have recently been tested negative for the coronavirus.
While police had instructions to be lenient the first week, the government has vowed to get tougher on health pass checks from next week.
And with testing set to be no longer free from October, many went to vaccination centres with heavy hearts in order to get the pass and be able to carry on with their lives as normal.
France has registered 6.39 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 112,468 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
More than 45 million French people have been vaccinated with at least one jab, with an increase after President Emmanuel Macron's July 12 speech where he announced the health pass and mandatory vaccination for health workers.
But distrust of the vaccine and the government's Covid policies remains deep as France heads for a fifth weekend of nationwide demonstrations.
1 comment:
High Hopes, Prayer's, and bet is on, the French people will prevail over their Governments Tyrannical irresponsible, illegal attempts to implement doing as their figure heads say over the rights of the French people IMO; To threaten other's rights whom choose not to participate being experimented on with dangerous jabs, and knowing jabs don't even work while leading to this controlled by passport nonsense, French power grabs will fail horrifically, IMO!
Like Domino effects, resistance or worse, will spread and spiral world wide, IMO! Soon the masses voices will rise against the insanity of a Covid turned Police State by diabolical leaders that must leave their positions elected, and those non-elected involved, in my opinion! It's Hitler all over again if not stopped, and most people get it IMO! Evidently, the French people actually do understand, in my opinion! Pray for them, and all those that want Freedom to Ring!
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