In France, a new day of mobilization against the health pass

Tens of thousands of people demonstrate in the streets of France, Saturday, July 24, against the extension of the health pass and compulsory vaccination for certain professions.

Several thousand people, divided into at least three gatherings, began to march in the early afternoon in Paris.

Essentially made up of yellow vests, a first procession set off shortly after 2 p.m. from Place de la Bastille, bound for Porte de Champerret (17^e arrondissement). Along the way, sporadic incidents pitted motorcycle police and protesters, AFP journalists said.

On the Place du Trocadéro (16^e), several thousand people, rarely masked, gathered at the call of Florian Philippot. “You are thousands”, launched the president of the Patriots and ex-number 2 of the National Rally, between two “Marseillaise”.

“Freedom, freedom” chanted the demonstrators, from Paris and the provinces, gathered around a platform surrounded by dozens of blue-white-red flags. “Freedom, I am not your guinea pig”, sums up a slogan displayed by a sign.

Finally, a third procession, made up of a few hundred people, left the vicinity of the Council of State (1^er), bound for Place des Invalides.

Events in more than a hundred cities

These protests come at a time when a very large majority of French people (76%) approve of President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to make vaccination compulsory for healthcare workers and other professions, with penalties, according to an Elabe poll conducted for BFMTV on July 13.

The extension of the health pass (complete vaccination or recent negative test) also receives a majority of approvals.

The health pass, “we would have done well if the context were different,” said the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, in front of readers of the Parisian. “We will end it as soon as we can,” he promised.

Outside of Paris, gatherings take place in more than a hundred cities in France.

In Marseille, thousands of people, all generations combined, marched in a good-natured atmosphere with cries of “Liberty, Liberty” or “Macron, your pass, we don’t want it”.

At least ten gatherings take place in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Demonstrations are underway in particular in Valence (several thousand people), in Lyon, in Auxerre (several hundred people), in Bourg-en-Bresse, in Grenoble.

In the Grand Est region, some 4,000 people demonstrate, according to the police.

Among the few “white coats” present, Élodie, a 34-year-old nurse, denounces “the blackmail on caregivers sent to the front line” and that “threat” now “not to pay” and “to fire”.

Other calls to demonstrate have been launched, among others, in Lille, Belfort, Nantes, Montpellier, Bordeaux or Besançon.

Anti-masks, anti-vaccines, anti-confinement

Grouped around the hashtags # Manif24Juillet, #PassDeLaHonte or # Liberté on social networks, the opposition to government measures to fight against Covid-19 unites anti-mask, anti-vaccine or anti-confinement demonstrators with protean demands.

Last Saturday, more than 110,000 people demonstrated throughout France against vaccination, the “dictatorship” or the health pass, including 18,000 in Paris divided into several processions and 96,000 in the rest of the country, according to the ministry of ‘Interior.

To halt the progression of the Delta variant, President Emmanuel Macron presented a series of measures on July 12.

Source of debate and subject of numerous amendments to the National Assembly, the presentation of a health pass partially entered into force on Wednesday.

A provision of the new text, currently under consideration in the Senate after adoption at first reading in the National Assembly, opens the way to dismissal for workers in establishments open to the public who refuse to obtain a health pass.

The bill also provides for the vaccination obligation for caregivers, firefighters or professionals working with the elderly.

With AFP