(14 Aug 2021) French police deployed tear gas to control protesters in Paris on Saturday as people marched against the recently introduced COVID-19 health pass.
Thousands of people from varied backgrounds marched in cities across France for a fifth straight Saturday to denounce the pass that is now needed to enter French restaurants, bars and sports arenas or use long-distance trains, planes or buses.
Some 1,600 police were deployed for three separate marches in Paris, a week after the health pass went into effect.
“Liberty” was the slogan, with protesters saying the health pass limits their freedom and is a disguised way to make COVID-19 vaccinations obligatory.
One woman in Paris was dressed as the Statue of Liberty.
The pass shows whether people are fully vaccinated, have had a recent negative test or proof of a recent COVID-19 recovery.
The bill authorizing it includes mandatory vaccinations for French health workers by Sept. 15.
The marches came as France is facing soaring numbers of new infections, driven by the more transmissible delta variant.
In Montpellier, some 7,500 people marched. The city is in the Herault region where the infection rate is above 600 per 100,000 people, among the highest in the country.
Despite the protests, polls have shown that the majority of French people support the health pass.
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