- Title: French protests call for 'freedom' amid government vaccine push
- Date: 17th July 2021
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 17, 2021) (REUTERS) ANTI-HEALTH PASS PROTESTERS MARCHING IN FRONT OF LOUVRE MUSEUM AND PYRAMID MAN WEARING SIGN READING (French): "NO TO THE HEALTH PASS" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CLAPPING AND CHANTING (French): "FREEDOM! FREEDOM!" PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH ANTI-VACCINE SIGNS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTER HOLDING UP SIGN WITH PICTURES OF NORTH KOREAN LEADER, KIM JONG UN, AND TEXT READING (French): "FRENCH DICTATORSHIP" AND "FRANCE'S DEMOCRACY IS FASCINATING!" (SOUNDBITE) (French) PROTESTER, CHRYSTELLE, SAYING: "Everyone is free, everyone is sovereign over their own body. In no way does even a president have the right to decide on mine, on our individual health. Never." PROTESTER DRESSED AS STATUE OF LIBERTY STANDING ON POLE PROTESTERS MARCHING BY LOUVRE MUSEUM AND PYRAMID (SOUNDBITE) (French) PROTESTER, CHRYSTELLE, SAYING: "Vaccinations are really about individual freedom, everyone can choose, that's not the theme here today. The theme is about the absence of freedom that is, unfortunately, continuing to grow in this country. That's it, they're taking away our freedoms little by little. Vaccinated or not, we are all together!" PROTESTERS MARCHING, SINGING (French): "WE WON'T GIVE UP" PROTESTER DRESSED IN MEDICAL ATTIRE WITH SIGNS READING (French): "MOURNING DOCTOR" AND "THEY'RE KILLING MEDICINE" PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTERS WITH FRENCH FLAGS AND SIGN READING (French): "TYRANNY AGAINST US" (IN REFERENCE TO VERSE OF FRENCH NATIONAL ANTHEM) SIGN READING (French): "OUR CHILDREN DESERVE TO LIVE FREELY, WITHOUT ANY PASS, WITHOUT QR CODES" (SOUNDBITE) (French) 61-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER, ANNE-MARIE JACQUES, SAYING: "It's the first time I'm protesting because right now, this is going too far. They need to stop this, and I'm protesting for freedom, for our freedom, the freedom of our children and our grandchildren." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED WITH FRENCH FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (French) 61-YEAR-OLD PROTESTER, ANNE-MARIE JACQUES, SAYING: "(We're protesting against) what has been said some days ago by our president. It's going too far, if we let this go, it opens the door to lots of other things, and it's very serious for our humanity and for the French people." PROTESTER HOLDING UP FRENCH FLAG PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN WITH MOCK QR CODE THAT READS (French): "VACZISM" PROTESTERS MARCHING
- Embargoed: 31st July 2021 15:15
- Keywords: COVID-19 France Macron coronavirus health pass protest vaccinations
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EM88TON
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of people marched around France on Saturday (July 17) to protest President Emmanuel Macron's plans to force vaccination of health workers and require a COVID-19 free certificate to enter places such as bars, restaurants, and cinemas.
Macron this week announced sweeping measures to fight a rapid surge in new coronavirus infections, which protesters say infringe the freedom of choice of those who do not want the COVID shot.
The measure had already prompted demonstrations earlier this week, forcing the police to use tear gas to disperse protesters on Bastille Day.
"Everyone is sovereign over their own body. In no way, does even a president have the right to decide on mine, or our individual health. Never," said one protester in Paris who identified herself as Chrystelle.
The fast-spreading Delta variant risks undermining economic recoveries if allowed to spiral out of control, forcing some governments to rethink their COVID-19 strategies just as citizens start their summer holidays.
Some 55.1% of the French have had a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday and 44.26% are fully inoculated - not enough to stop the virus' spread.
After falling from more than 42,000 per day in mid-April to less than 2,000 per day in late June, the average number of new infections in France has rebounded again, standing now at nearly 11,000 per day.
Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Jean Castex's office said France would reinforce restrictions on unvaccinated travellers from a series of countries to counter a rebound in COVID-19 infections while opening its doors to those who have received all their shots.
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