France: Demonstration against the health passport repressed | Anti-vaccine movements and thousands of people opposed to the measure of Emmanuel Macron’s government participated in the protests

French police cracked down on a massive demonstration in Paris this Saturday where thousands of people protested against the national certificate of vaccination against the coronavirus that the French government plans to introduce. The days of protest against the health passport have been extended to around a hundred localities in the country, According to the Interior Ministry, more than 200,000 people participated.

More than 14,000 people took to the streets of Paris where, in turn, the government ordered the deployment of some three thousand security forces. Various demands have converged in the capital, from anti-vaccine movements to populations against the measures of President Emmanuel Macron. The march remained peaceful until dozens of people barricaded in Place de la Bastille where the police cracked down with tear gas and a fire hydrant.

The protests reoccurred in more parts of the country, on the third consecutive Saturday of protests against the health passport in France. This Saturday, more than 200,000 people joined the call. According to the Interior Ministry, there was an increase in the number of participants compared to the previous days of July 17 and 24 when respectively 110,000 and 160,000 people marched.

Near five thousand people walked in Marseilles and in Lyonnais, the third most populous city in France, over a thousand people participated in the protests. In the town of Limoges, nail three thousand people marched peacefully, according to local media. While in the cities of the south-east, more than 20 thousand people, the busiest steps were in Montpellier (8,500) and Pleasant (6,500).

Health passport

The law that extends the use of the health passport was approved by MPs and senators last Sunday. Regulations in force since July 21 requires the presentation of a complete vaccination certificate against covid-19 or a recent negative test to access cultural and leisure venues. In addition, From August 9, a health passport will be required to go to a bar or restaurant, and for Travel by plane and in others long distance transport.

The right-wing candidate, Marine Le Pen, He was against the health certificate and compulsory vaccination of medical personnel, but did not participate in the protests. Although on Twitter, he assured that the protests should force the government to rectify its decision. For his part, the left leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, considered the health certificate a “bad idea”.

This Saturday, health authorities reported 43 new deaths due to covid-19, while the the total number of hospitalized patients is 7,409, 36 more than the day before. In addition they insisted that most people requiring hospitalization are not vaccinated.