Thousands Protest Against COVID-19 Health Passes Across France - Reports
03:10 GMT 03.10.2021 (Updated: 05:21 GMT 03.10.2021)
© REUTERS / BENOIT TESSIERA protester holds a placard that reads "No to the health passport" during a demonstration called by the French nationalist party "Les Patriotes" (The Patriots) against France's restrictions to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on the "Droits de l'Homme" (human rights) esplanade at the Trocadero Square in Paris, France, July 24, 2021. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
![A protester holds a placard that reads No to the health passport during a demonstration called by the French nationalist party Les Patriotes (The Patriots) against France's restrictions to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on the Droits de l'Homme (human rights) esplanade at the Trocadero Square in Paris, France, July 24, 2021. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier A protester holds a placard that reads No to the health passport during a demonstration called by the French nationalist party Les Patriotes (The Patriots) against France's restrictions to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on the Droits de l'Homme (human rights) esplanade at the Trocadero Square in Paris, France, July 24, 2021. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier - Sputnik International, 1920, 03.10.2021](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/07/1f/1083497795_0:320:3073:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_36f2810c9a414c2c84eeb39eceee1843.jpg)
© REUTERS / BENOIT TESSIER
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PARIS (Sputnik) - Nearly 48,000 people participated in demonstrations against coronavirus health passes held across France on Saturday, the newspaper La Depeche reports citing the French Interior Ministry.
Around 5,000 people protested in Paris alone on Saturday, which was the 12th consecutive Saturday of demonstrations against the health passes, La Depeche said, adding that the number of protesters has been steadily declining.
Last Saturday, around 64,000 people protested across France, with 7,200 demonstrators gathered in Paris.
In July, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a series of new restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19, including the special health pass indicating that a person has either been vaccinated or has a negative test result for COVID-19. Before that, the health pass was already required in museums, theatres, movies, and all public events attended by over fifty people.
Starting August 9th, the pass became mandatory in restaurants, bars, shopping centres, airplanes, and long-distance trains.
The move caused widespread discontent among French citizens, and protests against the measure have been held every weekend since.