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Protests on Bastille Day amid anger at tighter Covid rules

Demonstrations in Paris and other cities over plan for mandatory vaccinations for health workers and vaccine pass for public places.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Police have fired teargas to disperse demonstrators in Paris, as thousands of people protested throughout France over new coronavirus restrictions, reports The Guardian

Protests began in the French capital on Wednesday morning as the annual military parade for the traditional Bastille Day parade was taking place along the famous Champs-Élysées watched by president Emmanuel Macron.

The demonstrators are unhappy at the decision announced on Monday to oblige health workers to get vaccinated and bring in a vaccine health pass for most public places.

Unvaccinated people would require, for example, a negative test result to enter restaurants.

Since the announcement a record number of French people booked appointments for Covid-19 jabs.

“This is in the name of freedom” was the message from some of the protesters.

In one area of the French capital police fired teargas to disperse the crowd.

Read more of this report from The Guardian