For the fourth consecutive weekend, thousands of demonstrators in France took to the streets to protest against the country’s strict new COVID-19 rules, including a so-called “health pass” that restricts unvaccinated people from entering restaurants, bars, gyms, and other venues.
Video footage uploaded on social media showed demonstrators marching in Paris, chanting slogans against vaccine passports and other mandates, including, “No vaccine passports.”
NOW – Large protests are underway in #Paris and many other cities in France against vaccine passports and mandatory vaccinations.#manif7aoutpic.twitter.com/5rXloLEpWi
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) August 7, 2021
There were some outbursts of violence in the French city of Toulouse. Police officers and other security forces were seen deploying tear gas at the demonstrators. However, many protesters in the city, located near the border with Spain, appeared to be peaceful.
Thousands of people were also seen marching in Nice, located on the French Riviera, and protests were held in Lille, in northern France, according to footage.
With French riot police on guard, a largely peaceful crowd walked across Paris carrying banners that read “Our freedoms are dying” as well as “Vaccine: Don’t touch our kids.” Some were also upset that the government has made COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for health care workers by Sept. 15.
The French Interior Ministry said there were 237,000 protesters nationwide, including 17,000 in Paris, which may be the largest demonstrations yet against the vaccine passports.
