Paris (AFP)

They criticize the vaccination, the "dictatorship" or the health pass: several tens of thousands of people demonstrated on Saturday afternoon across France, from Marseille to Lille and from Montpellier to Paris, AFP offices noted.

"Freedom", "Macron dictator" ... From north to south, the slogans are similar.

"We have doubts about the Covid vaccines, it's not that we think the Earth is flat but we don't know the long-term effects of these hastily cobbled together vaccines that Macron wants us to do. impose ", summarizes Rita, a nursing assistant of 39 years, crossed in the procession in Montpellier where, according to the Prefecture, 5,500 people demonstrated.

On the Old Port of Marseille, they were around 4,250 according to the police headquarters, pointing to "sheep" who are vaccinated, "bad information" given according to them on television.

In Nice, about 1,600 demonstrators, yellow vests, opponents of the health pass, the compulsory vaccine or vaccination in general, had marched for several hours in the city center.

In the western half, the mobilization seemed a little less.

In Bordeaux, the prefecture, which had taken a ban on demonstrating in the city center, counted 1,200 people;

the demonstrators blocking the circulation of trams and cars in certain places.

In Toulouse, the prefecture counted 2,500 demonstrators, as in Metz, including a few yellow vests and white coats on the shoulders.

"No to the Nazi pass", "false pandemic, real dictatorship" "Pasteur's country, no passer" or "I am not a QR code", could one read on the signs of the procession.

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In Strasbourg, the demonstration gathered 2,800 people (prefecture), where a few people wore a yellow star, noted an AFP journalist.

In Nancy, they were 1,200 at the height of the mobilization.

- "PCR tests may be sufficient" -

In the capital, several thousand people were divided in at least three rallies, AFP journalists noted.

The first procession started from the Palais-Royal (1st arrondissement) before crossing the Seine with cries of "Freedom", "No to the health dictatorship" or "Macron resignation".

At the head of the procession, where the French flags flourished, were the former number 2 of the National Front Florian Philippot, the former LREM deputy covidosceptic Martine Wonner, the singer Francis Lalanne or the former muse "yellow vests" Jacline Mouraud .

Some leaflets diverting the yellow star with the mention "sanitary pass" were also visible.

Before the demonstration, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, president of Debout la France, held a press conference in front of the Constitutional Council, denouncing an "unprecedented abuse of power" and a "health coup", after the announcements of Emmanuel Macron.

With the sanitary pass in everyday life, it is according to him the "beginning of a gear towards a dictatorship".

At the same time, around 1,500 people demonstrated in the streets of the south of the capital, in a disparate procession, preceded by a police cordon.

Leaving around 2:30 p.m. from the 14th arrondissement, the procession headed for the district of Jussieu (5th arrondissement), accompanied by banners such as "wanted French Democratic Republic, disappeared on July 12, 2021", "no to the sanitary pass, stop at the dictatorship ", and slogans" Liberty "," Macron dictator ".

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"We are there for the demands of the yellow vests and the restrictions on freedoms. It is not one more freedom-killing law that makes us go out into the street. We have always been in the street", declared the "yellow vest" Jérôme Rodrigues.

"We are not anti-vaccines at all. We just want everyone to have the freedom to be vaccinated or not. PCR tests may be enough and then we must leave them free", launched Aurélie and Tiphaine, in their thirties, both employed in a shopping center in the Paris region.

Finally, a few dozen people took part in another unauthorized gathering at Place de la République.

Demonstrations take place in many other cities in France, such as Quimper (400 people), Perpignan (1,200), Clermond-Ferrand (1,700) or Valence (2,300).

In Dijon, the police used tear gas and the circulation of trams was briefly interrupted by demonstrators chanting "Liberty! Liberty!".

Other demonstrations were underway on Saturday afternoon in Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Roanne or Auxerre.

© 2021 AFP