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Two days before the new regulations came into effect, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of France for the fourth consecutive weekend to oppose the coronavirus health passes required to enter cafes or take intercity trains.
With the support of President Emmanuel Macron, the regulation requires a complete COVID-19 vaccination, a negative test, or a recent recovery from the virus to enjoy daily activities.
Macron, who faces re-election next year, hopes to encourage all French people to be vaccinated against the disease to defeat the virus and its rapidly spreading delta variant.
However, a large number of opponents in the past few weeks believe that in a country that values ​​individual freedom, these rules violate civil liberties.
Starting from Monday, whether indoors or on the terrace, dining in the restaurant or drinking in the cafe requires a health pass. Intercity transportation, including high-speed trains and domestic flights, will be mandatory, but the subway system and suburban transportation will not be required.
Since July 21st, a pass has been required to visit cultural venues such as cinemas, theaters and museums. Its extension was approved by the French Constitutional Council on Thursday.
During several protests in Paris, thousands of people marched from the western suburbs to the city center, chanting “Freedom!” and “Macron, we don’t need your pass!”.
Officials said that at least 37,000 people protested in the cities of Toulon, Nice and Marseille in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region on the Mediterranean coast. Slogans include “Health Pass means the death of freedom”.
However, opinion polls show that most people in France support health passes.
Macron: “Vaccination”
According to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 200,000 people protested last weekend and more than 160,000 people protested the previous weekend. The police said they expected fewer people this weekend.
Although many of the protesters were those who refused to get the vaccine, some received the injection but opposed the principle of the health pass.
Reporter Anne-Elisabeth Moutet said that people who took to the streets in France had different problems with health passes.
“There are quite extreme right-wingers who oppose vaccination. You also have left-wingers who oppose attempts to attack civil liberties,” she told Al Jazeera.
The government spokesman Gabriel Attal said that under current regulations, the pass will not be available until November 15th. This is to avoid further problems when the country is fighting the fourth wave of pandemic. limit.
Macron is still in his official holiday residence in southern France. In recent days, he has repeatedly used TikTok, a social media platform popular with young people, to convey his message.
“Get vaccinated. Get vaccinated. Get vaccinated,” Macron said in his latest video on Friday.
“This is a question of good citizens… If we infect our friends, neighbors or grandparents, our freedom is worthless. Freedom is responsibility.”
Le Monde stated that Macron’s decision not to show patience with the protesters posed risks, even for a leader who seemed to thrive in confrontation during the 2018-19 “yellow vest” protests.
“This is a dangerous strategy. Playing the street is playing with fire,” it said.
Since the announcement of the health pass plan, France’s vaccine promotion work has made progress, and the government hopes that 50 million people will receive at least one injection by the end of August. Almost 55% of the population is now double stabbed.
Approximately 25,000 new infections were recorded on Friday, and the number of cases is still high but stable.
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