French protesters take vaccine pass anger to the streets

Thousands demonstrated in cities across France on Saturday against tighter restrictions on people not vaccinated against COVID-19, as parliamentary wrangling continued over a draft law.

In Paris the largest single gathering set off from near the Eiffel Tower, called by far-right anti-EU presidential candidate Florian Philippot.

Other demonstrations harked back to the 2018-19"yellow vests "protests against French President Emmanuel Macron's perceived favoring the wealthy.

In Paris, demonstrators bore French and regional flags, with banners bearing messages such as "it's not the virus they want to control, it's you".

"It's Nazism, it's apartheid, I haven't been jabbed and I'm against vaccines in general," said one demonstrator.

According to figures gathered by the police and released issued by the interior ministry on Saturday, the turnout was 54,000 across France, compared with 105,200 a week earlier.

Demonstrators had hoped to keep up the pressure after Macron declared this month that he wanted to "piss off" the unvaccinated with new restrictions until they accepted a coronavirus shot.

The latest stage of that policy came into force on Saturday. The government-issued "health pass" has been deactivated for tens of thousands of people who have not received a booster vaccination within seven months of their first course of shots.

The pass is required for access to everything from bars and restaurants to cinemas and other public buildings, as well as for travel on the country's high-speed rail network.

Agencies via Xinhua