Eighth Saturday of mobilization in France against the health pass

Published on : 09/04/2021 – 19:33

Thousands of people again took to the streets of many cities in France on Saturday 4 September to cry out their refusal of the health pass, a few days after the start of the school year and the launch of a vaccination campaign for those over 12 years old. .

In Paris, where five rallies were scheduled for this eighth Saturday of mobilization, thousands of demonstrators marched from the foot of the Eiffel Tower to the Invalides, at the call of the Patriots movement of Florian Philippot.

“We are boycotting this health pass (….) we are going to put a 3^e dose of boycott. In the end, this health pass will fall, “said Florian Philippot, promising to go” until the general strike if necessary. “Along the way, some have whistled customers of bars and restaurants, calling them” collaborators. “, noted AFP.

>> To read also: Florian Philippot and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, arsonists of the antivax movement

Composed of 500 people, most of them unmasked, according to an AFP journalist, another procession marched through the center of the capital, between the Stock Exchange and the Royal Palace. Of similar size, a third event ended at Place de la Bastille.

Tensions between police and protesters in Paris

In addition, isolated demonstrators infiltrated shortly before 5 p.m. in the Les Halles shopping center, leading to an intervention by the police, AFP noted.

According to an Odoxa Backbone consulting study, published Thursday by Le Figaro, 67% of French people approve of the health pass, which President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out extending beyond November 15.

“No to discrimination. No to bullying: freedom”

In Marseille, thousands of people left the Old Port, the vast majority without a mask, under a bright sun and with a lot of French flags. “It’s always no to the sanitary pass, or sheep. No to discrimination. No to intimidation: freedom”, indicated a sign.

They were also 7,000 in Montpellier, 3,700 in Lyon, divided into two processions, 2,900 in Nice, 2,700 in Lille, 2,400 in Nantes, according to the prefecture (3,950 last week) and 700 in Saint-Nazaire.

In Rennes, there were 1,500 demonstrators (2,000 last week), according to the prefecture, where among the signs we could read “Injection mRNA, solution for depopulation?”.

They were 2,900 “at the height” of the demonstration in Bordeaux, according to the prefecture, 1,500 in Besançon and 2,200 in Strasbourg, in the midst of numerous French flags and several Phrygian caps.

“We are going to be fired on September 15, I find that totally unfair. We save lives, we are there for the population, and we find ourselves arrested, we no longer have the right to work just because the president has decided that we had to put aside, ”said Norbert, a 45-year-old firefighter who refused to give his name.

With AFP and Reuters