Coronavirus: Mass protests in France as tougher restrictions loom
- The Interior Ministry said about 204,000 people joined about 180 protests across the country on Saturday
- There were reports of isolated clashes on Saturday and TV broadcasts showed police employing water cannon
France was convulsed for the third weekend in a row on Saturday as mass protests against a planned tightening of coronavirus restrictions continue to anger segments of the public.
The Interior Ministry said about 204,000 people joined about 180 protests across the country on Saturday, French media reported, citing the police. It was about 44,000 more than marched a week ago.
France is currently fighting a fourth coronavirus wave. President Emmanuel Macron announced stricter regulations in mid-July due to rising infection numbers. Parliament approved the controversial changes earlier this week after heated debates.
The new law will have to clear the last hurdle on Thursday, when the Constitutional Council, convened by Prime Minister Jean Castex in response to the fierce criticism of the planned new regulations, delivers its opinion.
The compulsory vaccination requirement for all health workers and the extension of the so-called health passport, which shows holders have tested negative, recovered or have been fully vaccinated, have united more than just anti-vaxxers and Covid-19 deniers to ensure a diverse crowd at such demonstrations.
The diversity and the size of the nationwide protests also fuel fears in France of a new Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) movement. The Gilets Jaunes began their demonstrations in 2018 as a regional movement against the increase in petrol prices. Their issues quickly expanded into a critique of Macron's centre-right government.