France: sixth Saturday of anti-health pass mobilization, participation in decline
The Parisian procession against the restrictions imposed by France, including the compulsory health pass, to fight against the coronavirus epidemic, in Paris, August 21, 2021. © REUTERS - CHRISTIAN HARTMANN
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
Opponents of the health pass and any vaccine obligation against Covid-19 demonstrated this Saturday, August 21 across France.
Some 220 processions gathered a total of 175,503, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, against 214,845 demonstrators the previous week, a figure already in decline.
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After Paris, it is in Montpellier that one of the largest processions was observed with 9,500 demonstrators, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Montpellier followed closely by Toulon with some 6,000 opponents in the South-East, a city very active since the beginning of the summer against the sanitary pass.
In these two demonstrations, it is especially the vaccination of the youngest which seemed this week to crystallize the discontent.
The demonstrators are opposed to the possible vaccination of their children or grandchildren, which is not planned for the moment.
This measure is "
not topical
" in France, assured Thursday, August 19 the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer.
In Marseille, where 4,000 people gathered, dozens of “Touche pas à Raoult” posters were brandished.
A reaction to this week's announcements since Doctor
Didier Raoult
is requested by his supervisory authorities to leave the Marseille hospital.
Four gatherings in Paris
Finally, in Paris, no less than four gatherings were organized.
Two at the call of collectives of "yellow vests" and another at the initiative of
Florian Philippot
.
The former number two of the National Rally (RN) and president of the Patriots party, has made the fight against the health pass his hobbyhorse, believing that it is a total loss of freedom.
Some 14,700 people demonstrated.
Figures on the whole largely underestimated, according to the collective Le Nombre Jaune, which has identified 357,100 "
minimum
" on the whole of the territory.
The parades took place without significant overflows.
Twenty people, including two in Paris placed in police custody, were arrested during these demonstrations and a member of the security forces was injured.
In Montpellier, some clashes broke out on the sidelines of the rally.
The
health pass
, which a large majority of French people approve, applies in particular to bars and restaurants, to health services under certain conditions, in trains.
It has been extended since Monday August 16 to more than 120 large shopping centers and stores in the Paris region and the southern half of France.
This may be proof of complete vaccination, antigen testing within 72 hours, or proof of illness within the past six months.
Vaccination is progressing slowly
More than 800 people with Covid-19 have been hospitalized in the last 24 hours in France, including 165 in critical care.
Admissions which are concentrated in
Martinique, Guadeloupe
and Bouches-du-Rhône, according to figures from Public Health France on Saturday.
Vaccination is progressing slowly.
More than seven in ten people have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, and more than six in ten are fully immunized.
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To read also: Covid-19: French Polynesia closes its schools and hardens its confinement for two weeks
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