France, Italy Swept By Mass Protests Against COVID Health Pass
by Tyler Durden
France saw its largest protests yet against the country’s health pass, as thousands swept across major Italian towns, demanding an end to the infamous green pass.
On Saturday, protesters took to the streets in France and Italy in opposition to COVID rules that they say infringe on their civil liberties but which officials argue are needed to curb the coronavirus pandemic. The protests come as European countries double-down on efforts to get wide portions of their populations vaccinated in the face of the spreading delta variant — and in a bid to avoid further lockdowns.
Demonstrations against France’s health pass and mandatory vaccines for health care workers entered their fourth weekend, with Saturday seeing the largest rally yet, Deutsche Welle reported. An estimated 237,000 people turned out nationwide, according to the Interior Ministry. The figure exceeds the attendance a week ago, which saw 204,000 protesters.
La rivoluzione francese. Parigi, impressionante marea umana contro l’obbligo del passaporto sanitario. https://t.co/kJWQdnGGHv pic.twitter.com/opIiPXzGwr
— RadioSavana (@RadioSavana) August 7, 2021
While 17,000 people turned out in Paris, much of the focus was in southern France — where between 10,000 and 20,000 people marched in Nice alone. In contrast to prior weekends, the demonstrations were largely peaceful. The more major scuffles broke out between protesters and police in Lyon, France’s third-largest city.
The city of Bayonne and other areas of southern France saw larger numbers of protesters.
The protests come on the heels of a Constructional Council ruling on Thursday. The court approved the government’s plan for the health pass and vaccine requirements for workers in hospitals in nursing homes. France is currently in the grips of a fourth wave of coronavirus infections. The county has seen a boost in vaccinations since French President Emmanuel Macron announced the health pass in July. Some two-thirds of the French population eligible for the jab have received one dose, while 55% are fully vaccinated.
full story at https://www.activistpost.com/2021/08/france-italy-swept-by-mass-protests-against-covid-health-pass.html