Thousands rally in France against health pass rules
Print Edition
Almost a quarter of a million people took to the streets across France on Saturday for the biggest protests yet against a coronavirus health pass needed to enter a cafe or travel on an inter-city train, two days before the new rules come into force.
Similar but smaller protests were held in Italy.
Championed by President Emmanuel Macron, the French regulations make it obligatory to have either a full course of vaccination against COVID-19, a negative test or be recently recovered from the virus to enjoy routine activities.
Macron, who faces re-election next year, hopes to encourage all French to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and thereby defeat the virus and its fast-spreading Delta variant.
But opponents 鈥 who have now held four weekends of consecutive protests 鈥 argue the rules encroach on civil liberties in a country where individual freedom is highly prized.
About 237,000 people turned out across France, including 17,000 in Paris, the interior ministry said, exceeding the 204,000 last weekend 鈥 unusual numbers for protests at the height of the summer break.
In one of several protests in Paris, hundreds marched from the western suburbs to the center, chanting 鈥淔reedom!鈥 and 鈥淢acron, we don鈥檛 want your pass!鈥
Wearing a mask, Alexandre Fourez, 34, said he was protesting for the first time and that he had recovered from COVID.
鈥淭he problem with the health pass is that our hand is being forced,鈥 said the marketing employee, adding he 鈥渞eally has difficulty believing its use will be temporary.鈥
From today, the pass will be needed to eat in a restaurant or enjoy a drink at a cafe. It will be obligatory on inter-city transport including high-speed trains and domestic flights.
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