Thousands flock the streets of Paris on Saturday in protest of France's very strict COVID-19 restrictions and regulations that included the vaccine mandates.
Right Side Broadcasting Network explained that Saturday's gathering was the recent in a series held by the French people against the government's coronavirus restrictions since last year. Though the protest came before France's Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer announced this week that lesser restrictions in schools will be implemented for students attending in-person after February 21, the end of spring break. The restrictions still include mask mandates, isolation, and self-testing.
France has been implementing mask mandates in all indoor spaces, while Paris demand masking even in outdoors. The government also required that proof of vaccination status through the "Pass Sanitaire" (Health Pass) be presented in all public venues and establishments. This is mandated on citizens aged 16 and up and even extends to tourists through a "vaccine passport."
The European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen announced last March 2021 of plans to have vaccination passports called "Digital Green Pass" for use among Europeans to "move safely" within the European Union. At that time, France was hesitant to implement it since there were only a few vaccinated.
Christianity Daily reported in July that people protested in the streets because the vaccine passport was already mandated by President Emmanuel Macron. The protesters vandalized or destroyed two COVID-19 vaccination centers.
Accordingly, the mandate resulted in the country breaking its vaccination record of 800,000 shots in a single day and reached 3 million vaccinations. However, the vaccine mandate reportedly threatened 3,000 French citizens to be suspended from work who were given until September 15 to get the shot.
The protest was followed days after by a group of 300 protesters who stormed the Chambery town hall and demanded Macron to resign. Macron in November asked the elderly--those aged 65 and up--to get a third dose of the vaccine to be classified as "fully vaccinated."
Thousands also gathered in mid-January this year by the Eiffel Tower in Paris to speak out against the "tyranny" of the French government. Protesters brought French flags that they waved throughout the gathering.
During Saturday's protest, videos uploaded in social media show violence were inflicted by local police. One of the videos, which was posted by Westphalian Times Writer Marie Oakes in Twitter, showed a man pulled from the side street by a Paris policeman and then "beaten to the ground" by four or five more policemen.
Paris police beat a protester to the ground at the Freedom Convoy protest in Paris, France. pic.twitter.com/MSBOp9TkUM
"” Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) February 12, 2022
The police used their clubs to pin the man down to the ground. The man was unarmed and was not wearing any protective shield unlike the police who had helmets with face shields. Yet the man's face and body were hit by their clubs. This caused a negative reaction on and a commotion among the protesters who started to crowd in on the police but they were warded off.
Tear gas was also reportedly released by police to the protesters and even to those who were not part of the protest. A video uploaded by Jack Posobiec announced that, "Macron's forces unleash tear gas on freedom demonstrations in Paris, some hits cafe full of families." The restaurant happened to have its front walls open when the police sprayed tear gas.
In the video, restaurant personnel could be seen rushing to close sliding glass panels to protect themselves from the tear gas. While customers dining al fresco and also those inside the restaurant had to scamper away as smoke from the tear gas quickly filled the vicinity.
BREAKING: Macron's forces unleash tear gas on freedom demonstrations in Paris, some hits café full of families pic.twitter.com/xFoyzI2vy4
"” Truckasaurus Poso (@JackPosobiec) February 12, 2022
