Demonstrations are planned for Saturday in more than 150 towns and cities across France against the extension of the health pass and compulsory vaccination for healthcare workers, validated on Thursday by the Constitutional Council.
These marches, for the fourth weekend in a row, come a day after President Emmanuel Macron issued a new urgent appeal - "get vaccinated" - and while more than 44 million French people have received at least one dose (65.9% of the population).
"Macron, your (health) pass, we don't want it", shouted several hundred demonstrators in Paris on Thursday evening, after its validation by the Constitutional Council.
Health Pass
The law adopted at the end of July extends the health pass to new public places and introduces a vaccination requirement for carers.
From Monday, a vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test for Covid-19 or a certificate of recovery from the disease will be required to gain access to cafés and restaurants, theatres or trade fairs, or to make a long journey by plane, train or coach.
But France remains on target to hit 50m first jabs by the end of this month (and to overtake the UK total by circa 16 Aug).
— John Lichfield (@john_lichfield) August 7, 2021
It’s a strange summer – and not just because of the weather.
8/8
Many of the marchers said they did not want to be "guinea pigs" for new vaccines. But many of the demonstrators, some of whom have already been vaccinated, see the imposition of the health pass as a "disguised obligation to vaccinate" and "a control society".
Paris Demos
The Ministry of the Interior counted at least 204,000 demonstrators on 31 July (compared to 161,000 a week earlier). "We expect the same number of demonstrators overall" this Saturday, a police source predicted.
Four rallies are planned in Paris, where the police prefecture says it expects 10,000 demonstrators.
Last week's demonstrations were sometimes marked by tense confrontations with police and punctuated by invective and even insults to the medi These marches, for the fourth weekend in a row, come a day after President Emmanuel Macron issued a new urgent appeal - "get vaccinated" - and while more than 44 million French people have received at least one dose (65.9% of the population).
Vaccination certificate
From Monday, a vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test for Covid-19 or a certificate of recovery from the disease will be required to gain access to cafés and restaurants, theatres or trade fairs, or to make a long journey by plane, train or coach.
Many of the marchers said they did not want to be "guinea pigs" for new vaccines. But many of the demonstrators, some of whom have already been vaccinated, see the imposition of the health pass as a "disguised obligation to vaccinate" and "a control society".
The Ministry of the Interior counted at least 204,000 demonstrators on 31 July (compared to 161,000 a week earlier). "We expect the same number of demonstrators overall" this Saturday, a police source predicted.
Four rallies are planned in Paris, where the police prefecture says it expects 10,000 demonstrators.
Last week's demonstrations were sometimes marked by tense confrontations with police and punctuated by invective and insults.
