Demonstrators turn out in France to protest against COVID-19 health pass

Thousands of demonstrators turned out throughout France to protest against COVID-19 health passes the government has implemented.

An interior ministry official said that Saturday saw more than 200,000 protesters, an increase of more than 40,000 from last weekend’s protests, Reuters reported.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that 19 people were arrested during the protests. There were 3,000 police officers sent to Paris to keep the protests peaceful.

The protests are aimed at new measures passed by the government requiring a coronavirus health pass to enter restaurants, trains, bars and other venues. 

The COVID-19 health pass is given to individuals who are fully vaccinated, have natural immunity from a recent infection or had a negative coronavirus test within the last 72 hours.

Along with the health pass, health care workers will be required to get the vaccine or be suspended without pay in September.

This is the third weekend in a row protesters have come out against the new measures.

Most of the protests have been peaceful, but there were some violent clashes with the police last weekend. 

The new measures are designed to get more people inoculated, as France has only 47 percent of its population fully vaccinated, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.