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Tens of thousands of protesters travel to streets across France over the weekend to demonstrate the government’s COVID-19 vaccine passport obligation to prevent unvaccinated individuals from entering restaurants and bars and traveling long distances. I did it.
Minister of the Interior of France Said Reuters, estimated to have protested by 215,000, is down slightly from the 237,000 who demonstrated a week earlier.
Protesters often referred to vaccine passports as “freedom,” “pass = apartheid,” and “regaining the pass.” Some French citizens told the press that they participated in the demonstration because the COVID-19 passport is a way to limit their freedom and separate society for political purposes rather than for health reasons. rice field.
Crowds were seen marching in Paris, Nice, Marseille and other cities.
A few weeks ago, the French Parliament passed the COVID-19 Health Pass Act, requiring citizens to present their pass in public areas, vaccinated or recently proved to be virus-negative. Earlier this month, the State Supreme Court upheld the law as well as the law requiring all healthcare workers to be vaccinated with COVID-19.
Some media outlets claimed that the protests were part of the “anti-vax” movement, but many French demonstrators said they supported the vaccine but not the restrictions. I am.
“I was in favor of the vaccine and I vaccinated it a few months ago, but there was no discriminatory health path,” one protester said on Saturday. report Parent.
Approximately 1,600 police were deployed for three separate marches in Paris. Authorities did not provide information as to whether there were arrests.
As of the end of Friday, 46.1 million people in France, almost 68.5 percent of the population, were vaccinated at least once, and more than 38.8 million (57.5%) were vaccinated twice.
A demonstration was also held in Quebec, Canada last weekend, and restaurants, bars and gyms have recently been required to have a COVID-19 vaccine passport.
“It’s up to you to get vaccinated. Veronique Whalen of Montreal commented that using a passport is a way to force vaccination. France24..
This week, the city of New York plans to debut its vaccine passport system in restaurants, gyms, theaters and bars, but vaccination rates are very low in certain demographics in the city. According to data provided by the city, about 67% of black New Yorkers between the ages of 18 and 44 have never been vaccinated with COVID-19.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jack phillips
Senior reporter
Jack Phillips is a New York-based reporter for The Epoch Times.
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