Thousands of people have marched in the center of the French capital for the sixth consecutive weekend to denounce the so-called coronavirus health pass that they see as an infringement of the rights of unvaccinated citizens.
The rallies began in mid-July after Emmanuel Macron’s government introduced a system that made presenting a vaccination certificate or negative Covid-19 test obligatory for those willing to visit a restaurant, theater, cinema and shopping mall or travel on a long-distance train.
The authorities insist that the QR codes are needed to encourage people to get the jabs and avoid the fourth lockdown in the country, which saw some 6.6 million getting infected and over 113,000 dying due to the coronavirus.
More than 55% of the French population have been already fully vaccinated against Covid-19. But those who haven’t got the shot yet or are not planning to at all, claim that the health pass diminishes their rights and turns them into second-class citizens.
PARIS:👇👇#Paris #freedomrally #protest #NoVaccinePassportsAnywhere #NonALaVaccinationObligatoire #NonAuPasseportSanitaire
— WakeUpCallMedia (@WakeUpCallMedi1) August 22, 2021
Around 14,700 opponents of the measure again protested in Paris on Saturday. The figure came from the police, but the organizers have accused law enforcement of deliberately downplaying the attendance at previous events.
#Afghanistan protest in support of human rights defenders, women, freedom – taking place in Paris in Place de la République (with the Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité often taken for granted in countries like France emblazoned on the side of the statue of the Female French State) pic.twitter.com/483Wz99VrA
— Ross Cullen (@cullennews) August 22, 2021
Demonstrators were beating drums, carrying banners with the word “Liberté” (liberty) and chanting: “Macron! We don’t want your pass!”
Protest in Paris, France against the mandatory domestic vaccine pass. pic.twitter.com/1DGGFQKH8c
— Protest News (@PROTEST__NEWS) August 22, 2021
WATCH: A massive protest is underway in Paris against the government’s vaccine passport laws. pic.twitter.com/zYdJTSW1Al
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) August 21, 2021
The protest, which united groups with right- and left-wing views, went off without any serious incidents.
Rallies against the QR codes also took place in Montpellier, Strasbourg, Bordeaux and elsewhere across France. There were some 220 demonstrations in various locations on Saturday, which were attended by 175,000 people, the police said.
