Paris (AFP)

With cries of "Liberty, freedom!", Tens of thousands of people demonstrate in the streets of France on Saturday afternoon, against the extension of the health pass and compulsory vaccination for certain professions, noted AFP journalists .

Several thousand people, divided into at least three gatherings, began to demonstrate in the early afternoon in Paris.

Essentially made up of "yellow vests", a first procession set off shortly after 2:00 pm from the Place de la Bastille, to the Porte de Champerret (17th century).

Along the way, sporadic incidents pitted police officers on motorcycles with protesters, according to AFP journalists.

On the Place du Trocadéro (16th arrondissement), several thousand people, rarely masked, gathered at the call of Florian Philippot.

"You are thousands", launched the President of the Patriots and ex-n.2 of the RN, between two "Marseillaise".

"Freedom, freedom" chanted the demonstrators, from Paris and the provinces, gathered around a platform, surrounded by dozens of blue-white-red flags.

"Freedom, I am not your guinea pig", sums up a slogan carried on a sign.

Finally, a third procession, made up of a few hundred people, left the area surrounding the Council of State (1st arrondissement), bound for the Place des Invalides.

These protests come as a very large majority of French people (76%) approve of President Emmanuel Macron's decision to make vaccination compulsory for healthcare workers and other professions, with penalties, according to an Elabe poll for BFMTV July 13.

The health pass, "we would have done without if the context were different," said Minister of Health Olivier Véran, in front of readers of Le Parisien.

"We will end it as soon as we can," he promised.

Outside of Paris, gatherings take place in more than a hundred cities in France.

In Marseille, thousands of people, all generations combined, marched in a good-natured atmosphere with cries of "Liberty, Liberty" or "Macron, your pass, we don't want it," AFP noted.

"I will not do the injection," also explains Sandra, a 49-year-old nurse who refuses to give her name.

"Our country is becoming totalitarian", judge for his part Jean-Claude Dib, 71, retired truck driver who says he is "ready to give back blow for blow"

At least ten gatherings take place in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Demonstrations are underway in particular in Valence where they are several thousand, in Lyon, in Auxerre where several hundred people march, in Bourg-en-Bresse, in Grenoble.

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In the Grand Est region, some 4,000 people demonstrate, according to the police.

Some "white coats" in the procession, among them Elodie, a 34-year-old nurse, denounces "the blackmail on the caregivers sent to the front line" and that "threat" now "not to pay" and "to fire ".

Other calls to demonstrate have been launched, among others, in Lille, Belfort, Nantes, Montpellier, Bordeaux or Besançon.

- Acceleration of vaccination -

Grouped around the hashtags # manif24juillet, #PassDeLaHonte or # liberty on social networks, the opposition to government measures to fight Covid-19 unites anti-mask, anti-vaccine or anti-containment demonstrators with protean demands.

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Last Saturday, more than 110,000 people demonstrated throughout France against vaccination, the "dictatorship" or the health pass, including 18,000 in Paris divided into several processions and 96,000 in the rest of the country, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

To halt the progression of the Delta variant, President Emmanuel Macron presented a series of measures on July 12.

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Source of debate and subject of numerous amendments to the National Assembly, the presentation of a health pass (complete vaccination course or recent test) partially entered into force on Wednesday.

Already applied in cultural and leisure venues, its extension to cafes, restaurants and trains is scheduled for early August.

Even before the adoption of these toughening measures, their simple announcement by President Emmanuel Macron accelerated the vaccination: 58% of the total population (39 million people) had received at least one dose on Friday (and 48% are fully vaccinated ), compared to 53% and 40% respectively on July 10.

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A provision of the new text, under consideration in the Senate after adoption at first reading in the National Assembly, opens the way to a dismissal for workers in establishments open to the public who refuse to obtain a health pass.

The bill also provides for compulsory vaccination for caregivers, firefighters or professionals working with the elderly.

burs-ali-nk / pga / pb

© 2021 AFP