For the third week in a row, hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets around France to protest the governmentʼs COVID-19 health pass law, which was passed by Parliament recently but still needs a final green light from a top constitutional council, expected next week, before being fully enforced.
The protests come as the authorities try to stem a new wave of infections putting pressure on Franceʼs hospitals, where 85% of COVID patients are unvaccinated, according to a government report.
The New York Times notes that more than 200,000 people marched in Paris, where 3,000 police officers were deployed, and in other cities, including Marseille, Rennes and Strasbourg. The growing size of the protests has become an increasing source of concern.
The demonstrators are united in their distrust of the news media and of President Emmanuel Macronʼs government, and the vaccine conspiracy theorists, as well as some already vaccinated people, argue that the health pass is oppressive and unfair.
Most French people, according to recent polls. favour the vaccine, and millions have rushed to get their COVID shots since the pass was announced.
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