Opponents of the health pass management for the COVID-19 crisis marched through many cities in France in protests organized for the fifth consecutive Saturday, following the widespread implementation of the measure in most public places. The Interior Ministry reported that a total of 214,845 people, including 13,900 in Paris, protested Saturday across 217 gatherings, noting that 11 people were arrested and one police officer was injured. Last weekend, the ministry recorded 237,000 protesters.
The main marches began in Paris with slogans like "Let’s free France" and "Take your pass, Macron, and leave." Retired septuagenarian Philippe Bayol stated, "Vaccines cause a lot of damage," while participating in the protest organized in the capital by the Patriots movement and its founder, Florian Philippot, a former figure in the National Rally (far-right party). On the other side, at a march organized by the "Yellow Vests" movement, retired Mary Hughet expressed her rejection of the "idea of not being able to go where we wish," while thirty-something civil servant Yann Fontaine viewed the health pass as "a death of freedoms and discrimination."
So far, the protests have not recorded significant incidents and attract families and non-politicized demonstrators, as well as nurses and firefighters participating in their professional attire, in a scene that goes beyond mere opposition to vaccines or belief in conspiracy theories. Since Monday, the health pass has been required in most public places in France. French citizens must present the document at bars, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, hospitals, and long-distance trains. This health document proves that an individual is fully vaccinated against COVID, has a negative test result, or has recently recovered from the illness.
Protesters blame the government for downplaying the demonstrations. The "Yellow Number" group, which shares participant statistics in each city on Facebook, claimed to have counted at least 415,000 demonstrators last Saturday in France.
Outside Paris, the largest protests were recorded in the south of the country, such as in Toulon (22,000 people), Montpellier (7,500 people), Nice (6,000), and Marseille (6,000). Additionally, 4,200 people protested in Bordeaux (southwest), 3,000 in Lyon (east), and 2,600 in Lille (north). Some segments within this diverse and effectively leaderless movement display antisemitic slogans, while certain vaccination centers and pharmacies are regarded as "collaborators with the occupation" or face sabotage actions. A teacher will stand trial in September for displaying an anti-Jewish sign in Metz (east) last Saturday.
Protesters denounce the restriction of their "freedoms" and call it a "health dictatorship." These accusations irritate the government, which is facing a pandemic surge in two overseas territories, Guadeloupe and Martinique. After imposing a new lockdown in Martinique, Health Minister Olivier Véran criticized the movement, stating that it raises "very questionable slogans." The government still hopes to persuade skeptics to achieve the goal of vaccinating 50 million French citizens with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of August.
