- Title: Protesters in France denounce COVID health pass rules for fifth weekend
- Date: 14th August 2021
- Summary: ***WARNING: CONTAINS PROFANITY*** PROTESTER CARRYING PLACARD THAT READS (French): "FREEDOM!" PROTESTER CARRYING PLACARD WITH IMAGE OF A GUN AND OTHER WITH SLOGAN (French): "FREEDOM!"/ PROTESTER SAYING (French): "He gunned down our freedoms." PROTESTERS MARCHING, ONE HOLDING UP PLACARD THAT READS (French): "FREEDOM!" PROTESTER SHOWING QR CODE ON HER T-SHIRT, WITH IMAGE OF DIRTY FINGER POSTER SHOWING IMAGES OF FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON AND PRIME MINISTER JEAN CASTEX WITH SLOGAN THAT READS (French): "WHO WILL SAVE US FROM THEM?" FLORA NAEL, 6 YEARS OLD, HOLDING UP POSTER THAT READS (French): "MACRON, YOU'RE BAD", (SOUNDBITE) (French) FLORA NAEL, 6 YEARS OLD, SAYING: "If we get vaccinated, we will get sick." PROTESTERS CHANTING SONG THAT POKES FUN ON MACRON PROTESTERS CHANTING (French): "Freedom!" (SOUNDBITE) (French) FAR-RIGHT POLITICIAN FLORIAN PHILIPPOT SAYING ON STAGE DURING PROTEST: "We will never sell our freedom for one dose, two doses, three doses, four doses, five doses, six doses, do I hear seven? Never, never, never!" PEOPLE CLAPPING PEOPLE CHANTING POSTER WITH IMAGE OF MACRON AND SLOGAN THAT READS (French): "Choose your servitude: lockdown or sanitary pass?" NICE, FRANCE (AUGUST 14, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING BANNER THAT READS (French): "HEALTH DIKTAT - PEOPLE'S COUNTERATTACK" PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH BANNER THAT READS (French): "ANTI-HEALTH PASS / THE NEW WAVE IS US" FIREFIGHTERS AND HEALTH WORKERS IN MASKS RAISING FISTS CHANTING (French): "FREEDOM" HEALTH WORKER RAISING FIST (SOUNDBITE) (French) HOSPITAL WORKER, CAROLE, SAYING: "Today, we're treated like savages. We're being insulted, we're being told we're contaminators, whereas the vaccine today is not effective and can also be contaminated and infectious." PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS PROTESTERS MARCHING BANNER WITH CROSSED OUT WORDS (French): "FREEDOM, EQUALITY AND FRATERNITY - AND SERVITUDE, DISCRIMINATION, DIVISION" UMBRELLA WITH SLOGAN (French): "LONG LIVE THE RESISTANCE"
- Embargoed: 28th August 2021 17:13
- Keywords: COVID Florian Philippot demo health pass health workers protests sanitary pass vaccination vaccine
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA003EQ93I9Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS A VULGAR IMAGE AND VULGAR CHANTING (IN FRENCH)
Protesters have marched in cities across France for a fifth consecutive weekend on Saturday (August 14) against rules compelling them to show a COVID-19 health pass for daily activities, but in lesser numbers than a week ago.
Crowds rallied through the streets of Paris, Marseille, Nice, Montpellier and other towns, waving placards mocking French President Emmanuel Macron and chanting "Freedom, freedom".
In Paris and Nice, hospital workers who are against vaccinations joined the protest.
The protesters questioned the efficacy of the vaccine and said the virus is better addressed by treatments and social distancing. They also worried that there are not enough studies on side effects.
Since last Monday (August 9), citizens have been required to show the pass in public places, proving that they have been vaccinated or have recently been tested negative for the coronavirus.
After a week of leniency from the police, the government has vowed to get tougher on health pass checks, and testing, unless prescribed by a doctor, will no longer be free from October.
The protests have united a disparate group against Macron's legislation, which is meant to help contain a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections spreading across France and help safeguard the country's economic recovery.
The total number of participants in the latest protests had diminished to almost 215,000, according to the interior ministry, after a steady rise from 114,000 on the first Saturday of protest on July 17 to 237,000 on Aug. 7.
Authorities had initially anticipated that the 217 overwhelmingly peaceful rallies around the country would total around 250,000 demonstrators.
The number of people being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care units has more than doubled in less than a month, standing at 1,831 as of Friday. That's less than a third of the third lockdown peak of 6,001, but high enough to trigger restrictive measures in certain areas.
Health Ministry data showed nine in every 10 COVID patients recently admitted to intensive care had not been vaccinated. A majority of French support the health pass, surveys show.
Among the protesters are remnants of the anti-government "Yellow Vest" movement that shook Macron's leadership during 2018-2019, and also other citizens who are anti-vaccine or consider the health pass to be discriminatory.
Vaccination rates jumped after Macron unveiled his health pass plans last month. Almost 70% of all French people have now received one dose and 57.5% are fully vaccinated.
(Production: Noemie Olive, Eric Gaillard, Michaela Cabrera) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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