France witnesses massive protests against health certificate

World

Published: 2021-08-01 10:16

Last Updated: 2024-03-29 14:35


Source: France24
Source: France24

More than 200,000 people demonstrated Saturday against the extension of the health certificate in several cities in France for the third time over the weekend, according to Interior Ministry figures.

At 18:00, the Ministry of the Interior estimated the number of protesters at 204,090 people, including 14,250 in Paris.

Last Saturday, the protests gathered 161,000 people, and 110,000 a week ago.

According to a first report published by the ministry, "19 people were arrested, including 10 in Paris," and "three security personnel were wounded in Paris."

Last Sunday, the French Parliament finally approved the health certificate that requires the presentation of a full certificate of vaccination against Covid-19 or a recent negative examination in order to enter cafes, galleries, trains, and other public venues.

The situation was tense in the evening in the capital in Bastille Square, after the arrival of the main march against the health certificate. Police used tear gas and water cannons in response to the projectiles of the demonstrators.

Before the protesters set out, Jerome Rodriguez, one of the leaders of the "yellow vest" movement against the government's social policy, criticized "members of the government and the media who are trying to convince us of the effectiveness of a vaccine without having any evidence."

More than 3,000 police and gendarmes were mobilized to supervise the marches, a week after the demonstrators descended on the Champs Elysees, which closed its doors on Saturday.

The demonstration in Rennes (west) attracted 2,900 people, "without incidents recorded so far," according to what the Security Directorate told AFP in the afternoon, which is an increase in mobilization compared to last Saturday (2,200 people).

"I am a Macron Jew", "vaccinated me against fascism and capitalism" and "False media! We want the truth," read the banners raised in a noisy atmosphere.

In the cities of the southeast, the authorities counted more than 20,000 people, mainly in the cities of Montpellier and Nice. 

One banner read "President, Representatives, Senators, Scientists and Journalists are all cowards" and on another, "I am not a guinea pig."

In the night, more than 2,000 people, including many "yellow vests", marched chanting "Freedom, freedom" or "We do not want health certificates, nor forced martyrdoms."

The country is currently witnessing an outbreak of the epidemic (more than 24,300 new cases Friday), especially in tourist areas due to the highly contagious Delta mutant.

The Corona virus has killed 111,855 people in France since the beginning of the epidemic.

A study published Friday showed that people who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 represent about 85 percent of patients in hospitals in France.

More than 50 percent of the French population became fully vaccinated this week.