France: thousands of people back in the streets against the health pass
Thousands of demonstrators marched in the streets of Paris this Saturday, July 31 against the entry into force of the health pass.
AP - Michel Euler
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
Demonstrations gathered again on Saturday tens of thousands of opponents to the extension of the health pass in many cities of France, in the name of "freedom", for the third consecutive weekend.
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On the eve of this mobilization, the French authorities expected to see 150,000 people marching.
Last Saturday, the demonstrations had gathered 161,000 people
and 110,000 a week earlier.
In Paris, a first demonstration of several thousand people was punctuated by clashes with the police.
Before the demonstrators set off, a figure of the movement of "yellow vests", hostile to the social policy of the government, Jérôme Rodrigues, had castigated "
members of the government, members of the media who are there to sell you efficiency of a vaccine without even having any proof
”.
More than 3,000 police and gendarmes in Paris
More than 3,000 police and gendarmes were mobilized to frame the parades, a week after demonstrators invaded the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, access to which was blocked on Saturday.
In Rennes (west), the demonstration attracted 2,900 people, "
without incidents at this stage,
" the prefecture told AFP at the start of the afternoon, i.e. an increase in mobilization compared to the previous Saturday (2 200 people).
"
I am Macron's Jew
", "
vaccinate me against fascism and capitalism
" or "
Liar media!
We want the truth
”, we read on the signs, brandished in a festive and noisy atmosphere.
In the cities of the south-east, more than 20,000 people have been counted by the authorities, mainly in Montpellier (8,500) and Nice (6,500).
In Lille, more than 2,000 people, with such varied profiles, including a number of "yellow vests", marched, chanting "
liberty, liberty
" or "
the health pass, we don't want it, the authoritarian pass, we don't. 'don't want it
'.
Comes into force on August 9
The health pass, requiring the presentation of a complete vaccination certificate against Covid-19 or a recent negative test, was definitively adopted last Sunday in the French Parliament.
The country is currently grappling with
an outbreak of the epidemic
(more than 24,300 new cases on Friday), especially in tourist areas, carried by the highly contagious variant Delta.
Already applied in cultural and leisure venues since July 21, the extension of the
health pass
for cafes, fairs, exhibitions, restaurants and trains is scheduled for August 9.
People not vaccinated against Covid-19 represent about 85% of patients hospitalized in France, including in intensive care, and 78% of deaths from the virus, according to a study published on Friday.
France this week exceeded the threshold of 50% of its fully vaccinated population.
(
With
AFP)
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France
Coronavirus
Vaccines
Health and medicine
Emmanuel Macron