Tens of thousands of French citizens demonstrated again on Saturday in protest of the government's COVID-19 vaccination policy, amid concerns from human rights groups about anti-Semitic sentiments within the protest movement. Over 200 different demonstrations were called for across the country for the sixth consecutive week to condemn the "health pass" system announced by President Emmanuel Macron, which some see as an unfair restriction on the rights of the unvaccinated.
The health pass requires individuals to present documentation proving they have been vaccinated against COVID, a negative test result from the past 72 hours, or proof of recovery from the illness within the last six months to enter bars, restaurants, and use health facilities under certain conditions, including on trains. As of Monday, it now applies to more than 120 shopping centers and large stores in the Paris area and southern France.
Approximately 9,500 people participated in demonstrations in southern Montpellier, 4,000 in eastern Strasbourg, and 3,400 in Bordeaux, according to local authorities. In the Paris demonstration, participants raised flags and signs that read "freedom," chanting "Macron! We don’t want your health pass!"
The protest movement against the health pass has drawn together conspiracy theorists, anti-vaccine activists, former members of the "Yellow Vests" movement, and those concerned about a system that unfairly creates a two-tier society. Around 200,000 people demonstrated during the previous weekend, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, with final statistics for Saturday's protests expected to be announced in the evening. Organizers claim the actual number of participants in the previous weekend's protests was double the figure estimated by the police.
This protest movement has been marked from the beginning by the use of slogans and symbols that have been condemned by Jewish groups and anti-racism activists; some demonstrators wore yellow stars on their clothing resembling those the Nazis forced Jews to wear during World War II. Others were seen holding signs that read "Who?" which alludes to accusations against Jews of spreading propaganda against COVID through the media and profiting from the vaccine industry.
The French government insists that the health pass is essential to encourage people to get vaccinated and to avoid a fourth nationwide lockdown, especially since unvaccinated individuals account for eight to nine out of every ten COVID admissions to hospitals. The majority of the French public supports the health pass, with only about one-third expressing solidarity with the protesters, according to a poll published by the newspaper "Le Journal du Dimanche" last weekend.
