110,000 Gather in France to Protest Vaccine Mandate: "Give Us Freedom"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] On the weekend of the 17th (local time), a large-scale protest against COVID-19 vaccination took place in France.

According to the AP News on the 17th (local time), the French Ministry of the Interior estimated that a total of 114,000 people participated in the protests that day.

In the capital Paris, far-right and far-left protesters marched in different locations, and protests were also held in eastern Strasbourg, northern Lille, and southern Montpellier.

In particular, at the request of prominent far-right politician Florian Philippot, thousands gathered on the streets around the Louvre Museum in Paris, shouting slogans such as "Macron, step down!" and "Freedom."

The protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the government's policy announced on the 12th, which mandated COVID-19 vaccination for workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and facilities for the disabled, and required proof of vaccination in restaurants and shopping malls.

Bruno, a 53-year-old city councilor living in the suburbs of Paris, questioned the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, saying, "I will never get vaccinated," and added, "People need to come to their senses."

Lucien, a 28-year-old man, said he is not against vaccines but believes everyone should have the freedom to decide what happens to their own body, arguing that "the government has gone too far."

His friend Elise also said, "I have been vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and polio, but the COVID-19 vaccine is too experimental."

On the 14th, protests condemning mandatory vaccination were held in major cities including Paris, with the police estimating 17,000 participants nationwide at that time.

AP reported that a widespread hesitation toward COVID-19 vaccination seems to have spread in France.

According to the French government's decision, healthcare workers in hospitals and nursing facilities must receive the COVID-19 vaccine by September 15.

More than half of French healthcare workers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but some continue to refuse vaccination.

Recently, due to the spread of the Delta variant and other factors, the number of COVID-19 cases in France has increased.

The number of new daily cases exceeded 10,000 consecutively on the 16th and 17th.

According to the international statistics site Worldometer, as of the 17th, France's cumulative confirmed cases reached 5,855,198, with 111,467 deaths among them.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.