As the start of the school year approaches, opponents of the health pass and any vaccine obligation against Covid-19 demonstrated calmly this Saturday in France, many fiercely rejecting the vaccination of children and adolescents.
According to the Interior Ministry, some 175,500 people took to the streets this Saturday in 220 rallies, including 14,700 in Paris, where four demonstrations were declared. Important gatherings were recorded in Montpellier (9,500 people) and Toulon (6,000). Place Beauvau reports 20 arrests at 7 p.m. and a member of the police force slightly injured.
Last week, the services of Gerald Darmanin had identified 214,845 demonstrators across the country, down slightly from the previous week. The militant collective Le Nombre Jaune had counted 388,843 participants on Saturday August 15, also a slight decrease compared to the 415,000 it had counted the previous Saturday.
Jérôme Rodrigues in Pau
“Get vaccinated if you want, but we are against a pass to the hospital or to go shopping, we are asking for the repeal of the law”, proclaimed in Pau (77,000 inhabitants) Jérôme Rodrigues, one of the emblematic figures the movement of “yellow vests”, facing 2,700 demonstrators, according to the police.
In Lille, the procession – of 3,200 people, according to the prefecture – advanced behind the sign “Let’s get rid of Macron with his pass and his stupid reforms”. Appeared a few firefighters as well as caregivers – subject to compulsory vaccination – like a woman in a white coat, waving the sign “yesterday heroes, today bastards?” I’ll be fired! “
“Hands off our children”
Among the demonstrators, many parents and grandparents were concerned about the possible extension of vaccination to children under 12 years old. This measure is “not relevant” in France, assured Thursday the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer. 12-17 year olds can be vaccinated since mid-June and 55% of them have already received a dose.
Protesters chanted “do not touch our children” at the head of the procession in Bordeaux. While in Lille, José Mata, a 57-year-old professor and grandfather, was not convinced by the official or scientific speeches and wondered: “With this new vaccine, even if the risk is low, there is has a risk anyway. We do not give just any medicine to children […], so why a new vaccine? “
According to the authorities, there were 4,100 demonstrating in Strasbourg, 3,400 in Bordeaux and Toulouse, 3,000 in Bayonne, 2,500 in Nice, 2,300 in Nantes and 2,000 in Caen. The prefectures noted a reflux in Toulon (with 6,000 participants) but an increase in Montpellier (9,500).
Under the windows of Didier Raoult in Marseille
The Parisian demonstrators were divided into four rallies, including two at the initiative of collectives of “yellow vests” and one at the call of Florian Philippot, ex-number 2 of the National Front, leader of the Patriots and spearhead of contesting health measures. Monique Bourhis, 75 years old and “not vaccinated”, had come by train from the Eure to demonstrate in Paris as “every Saturday”: “I do not have to show a document to go to the café. I am not against the vaccine but I am waiting for the French (vaccine). There, we will know what is inside, ”said this retiree sensitive to the speech of Mr. Philippot, defiant towards the messenger RNA vaccines that she equates to“ poison ”.
In Marseille, the crowd of several thousand demonstrators went to the university hospital institute for infectious diseases led by Didier Raoult – promoter of a very controversial treatment of Covid-19 patients. Singing “La Marseillaise”, they expressed their support for him, after the statements of the Director-General of the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille who does not wish to renew the 69-year-old infectious disease specialist at the head of the IHU Méditerranée Infection. “They want to shamefully oust him!” “, Also launched in Paris Florian Philippot, posters” do not touch Raoult “having appeared among the French flags.