Tens of thousands of people demonstrated on Saturday (17.07.2021) in different cities of France to protest against new anticovid measures, such as the requirement of a health certificate or mandatory vaccination for some professionals.
In total, the Interior Ministry counted 136 concentrations in which 114,000 people participated: 18,000 in Paris divided into various demonstrations and 96,000 in the rest of the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday the obligation to be vaccinated for health personnel and other professions, and the need to have a health certificate as the person is vaccinated or is COVID-negative to access most public places from August .
“Freedom”, “No to the health dictatorship”, “Macron resigns”, shouted thousands of protesters gathered on the banks of the Seine River, in the center of Paris, in one of the three protests held in the capital.
French flags proliferated among the protesters and some wore yellow stars, like those that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany, with the inscription “health certificate.”
“We are in a dictatorship, we are in a tyranny (…) This is called apartheid between vaccinated and unvaccinated,” said prominent far-right politician Florian Philippot, who was at the head of the march.
There were also concentrations in cities such as Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, Lilla or Strasbourg.
Demonstrators protested in Paris against the health certificate. (17.07.2021)
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According to a poll published on Tuesday, the measures announced by Macron are approved by the majority of the French. Since the announcements, more than two million French people booked an appointment to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Around 35.5 million people – just over half of the French population – have so far received at least one dose of the covid vaccine, while 27 million have received two.
gs (afp, ap)
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