Tens of thousands of people across several countries, including France and Italy, have protested against anti-covid measures, with the French police using tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in the capital Paris.
In France, an estimated 160,000 took to the streets in nationwide protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s health pass that will drastically curtail access to restaurants and public spaces for unvaccinated people.
“Freedom, freedom”, chanted demonstrators in France, carrying placards denouncing “Macron, Tyrant”, “Big Pharma shackles freedom” or saying “No to the pass of shame”.
A similar scheme, called “green pass”, has sparked angry demonstrations across Italy. People in Rome, Naples and Turin chanted “freedom” and “down with the dictatorship” over plans for the so-called “green pass”.
The certificate will be needed from early next month to eat in restaurants and visit cinemas among other indoor activities.
Many people gathered without wearing masks – but the turnout was lower than expected.
Thousands of people have also protested in London, against what they describe as an erosion of their civil liberties.
Demonstrators say the UK government’s track and trace app is limiting their movements, with more than 600,000 told to self-isolate in one week alone this month. The protests come a week after most Coronavirus restrictions in England were lifted.
Earlier, dozens of protesters were arrested after an unauthorised march in Sydney, Australia’s largest city. Organisers had dubbed the protest a “freedom” rally. Attendees carried signs and banners reading “Wake up Australia” and “Drain the Swamp”.
Heidi Larson, a professor of anthropology, risk and decision science at the department of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Al Jazeera that the health pass “makes a lot of sense”.
“And ironically for those who want their freedoms, the vaccine can allow different freedoms,” she said.
“When you think about it, the options to this pass is that we close restaurants, we stop large gatherings. We have to give somewhere if we want to get ahead of this virus,” Larson said.
Gabriel Scally, a visiting professor of public health at the University of Bristol, told Al Jazeera that there was nothing new to the opposition to the pandemic measures.
“I think these rallies are relatively small. All the way through the pandemic, we have seen small groups of people who have taken to the streets to express their opposition to various things,” he said.
“Some believe that the virus does not exist, that COVID-19 doesn’t exist. Some think that it’s a conspiracy from all sorts of people, including Bill Gates…
“It isn’t anything new. There has been opposition to vaccines in history. It’s new and people are dealing with various issues. There are always a small group of people who are opposed.”
Legislators in France’s senate debated the bill on Saturday after the lower house of parliament approved it on Friday.
The government is trying to speed up vaccination to protect vulnerable populations and hospitals and avoid new lockdowns.
Most French adults are fully vaccinated and polls indicate a majority of French people support the new measures.
But not everyone. Protesters chanting “Liberty! Liberty!” marched through Paris in one of multiple demonstrations planned on Saturday.
Last weekend, more than 100,000 people protested across France against the measures.
They included far-right politicians and activists as well as some others angry at President Emmanuel Macron for various reasons.
Separately, in Indonesia and the UK, governments have pressed ahead with the easing of restrictions even in the face of surging infections.
Meanwhile, about 5,000 people demonstrated in Athens, carrying placards touting slogans such as, “Don’t touch our children”, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
In Sydney, demonstrators pelted officers with pot plants and bottles of water as they defied a month-long stay-at-home order, a day after authorities suggested the restrictions could remain in place until October.
New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was “utterly disgusted” by the protesters whose “selfish actions have compromised the safety of all of us”.
Police said they issued nearly 100 fines and arrested 57 people. In Melbourne, meanwhile, six people were arrested, police said.
Follow us on:
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has condemned the commercialisation of GMO seeds, warning of threats to Nigeria’s food…
Oleksandr Usyk has secured victory over Tyson Fury in Riyadh, successfully defending his heavyweight championship…
Albania plans a one-year TikTok ban from January after a schoolboy’s death sparks concerns over…
A suspect accused of killing five people by driving into a crowded Christmas market in…
A US Navy F/A-18 Hornet was mistakenly shot down over the Red Sea by the…
NNPC has reduced petrol ex-depot price to N899 per litre, sparking competition with Dangote Refinery…
View Comments
Locking people up until September when there have been two deaths in Australia, in the last many months, one of whom was in her 80's, is unacceptable, and their top health official telling Australians not to even speak to each other at the grocery at all even if masked, etc.?
What do these experts from Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford have to say?
Dr. Martin Kulldorff, professor of medicine at Harvard University, a biostatistician, and epidemiologist with expertise in detecting and monitoring infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety evaluations, Dr. Sunetra Gupta, professor at Oxford University, an epidemiologist with expertise in immunology, vaccine development, and mathematical modeling of infectious diseases, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, professor at Stanford University Medical School, a physician, epidemiologist, health economist, and public health policy expert focusing on infectious diseases and vulnerable populations have this to say: https://futurefastforward.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Great-Barrington-Declaration.pdf & https://gbdeclaration.org/#read).
Governments have been trying to get people mass-vaccinated for similar "pandemics" in recent years and not-so-recent years, but this time they have control of the media (and social media) like never before. The mainstream media are acting like vaccines are the only way, when, in fact, they are not. Go to IFLCCC.net for medical advice from critical care doctors, including the most published critical care doctor in the entire world, Dr. Paul Marik, along with his hand-picked team of ICU specialists who all worked day and night saving lives in the ICU with Covid (and protecting themselves while they did so). Science and solutions exist outside the profitable option as well. And why are some acting like these experimental injections are going to bring back normal society when they've warned us that they won't and can't? Israel has some of the best vaccination rates in the world and did so early on, but the results are in, and the efficacy of the injections from those taken in January are now 18%. So we need "vaccination" passports for "vaccines" that lose efficacy quickly, keep infection transmissible, and doesn't keep those "vaccinated" from catching it ? There are breakthrough cases, and we know this well. They won't allow those with negative results, however, admission to public spaces?? Where is the logic?? Science, where are you? If you're injected or not injected and concerned with variants (or you have "vaccine" injury or long Covid symptoms), please know there is an option to protect as well as treat you and your family and friends if needed, with great efficacy and known safety. Going to share a comment I wrote to a gentleman who is injected and concerned:
Yesterday was World Ivermectin Day, sponsored by doctors, scientists and researchers the world over promoting Ivermectin also in fighting the pandemic. They're the very scientists that consult with WHO on recommended treatments, etc., as well as the doctors who treat COVID in ICU and save lives with incredible success. Most are not against experimental injections, but are for doing what it actually takes to end this pandemic, which won't be done without the use of more than just injections. Breakthrough cases are happening. And some people can't get these injections (e.g. my doctors have warned me against its use because I have known heart and blood coagulation issues, as well as other health issues that are of extreme concern with regards to this style of intervention. And when you say people aren't getting injections for silly reasons, you may just not know their reasoning. Also, there are alternatives that cut transmission in 6 of 7 people exposed (injections can't do that, so it's a great tool to use alongside if worried about variants as the methods of action for Ivermectin are many). Ivermectin, like injections, also protect people from severe sickness and can protect those injected should they need it. Worldwide trials, use in countless hospitals with critical care doctors and staff daily exposed to COVID in ICU, and the results are astounding... Who better to know what works than those who treat and are in the line-of-fire in treating the most severe cases????
60 trials, 39 of them already peer-reviewed, involving 11,500 patients & 400 authors: Ivermectin treats COVID-19: 88% improvement in prophylaxis, 75% improvement for early treatment, and 43% improvement for late treatment.
#WorldIvermectinDay
#IvermectinWorks
#IvermectinTreatsCOVID
#Ivermectin
Follow ALL science, and not just politically motivated profitable science. There is a lot of money to be made from this ONE option, and we can never forget that profit drives the pharmaceutical industry.
COVID is treatable.
Ivermectin is adopted by entire countries and is saving lives. Meta-analyses have been done showing its effectiveness by top authorities, including members of our own FDA acting independently, and world renowned scientists and researchers who regularly perform these analyses for the WHO. The US and worlds' best doctors who are supporting this are our own brave ICU doctors who refused to let top-down policy keep them from treating their patients and saving their lives (FLCCC.net). One meta analysis (of which there are many) was done for free by star researcher, scientist, and doctor, Dr. Tess Lawrie (and other top-notch experts), who heads Evidence Based Medicine in the UK. Those who support Ivermectin support the people over profit-driven options.
The creator of mRNA "vaccine" technology himself, Dr. Malone, an exemplary graduate of Salks, agrees that Ivermectin should be used to end the pandemic. He's an expert vaccinologist and virologist.
Here's Malone, sitting side by side with Weinstein who is treating with Ivermectin, sitting side by side with Kirsch who is also "vaccinated": https://odysee.com/@ReelNews:8/How-to-Save-the-World-in-Three-Easy-Steps,-Robert-Malone,-Steve-Kirsch,---Bret-Weinstein:5
We have to be open to what works. One thing being the only way is not practical, honest, or even helpful. Clearly, we need everything we can throw at this to stop the madness. Looking at Israel who has some of the highest percentage of vaccinations and who did so very early on, they are now showing less than 20% efficacy of vaccine in those who were jabbed in January of this year. That's not impressive and has many upset, obviously, as they'd hoped the efficacy would last much longer, but it drops efficacy quickly as shown by their meticulous records.
We can't keep taking these experimental injections with every variant that comes (hear previous Prime Minister of the UK Theresa May tell it like it is when it comes to the future: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1995575587259290, and one of the most published peer-reviewed MD's in his field ever in history: https://rumble.com/vi2esn-dr-peter-mccullough-on-the-rush-to-vaccinate-the-entire-population..html?fbclid=IwAR3ye7qCWSCXA2_G9BcPbyesXx5D2JtznNysmCW5q92uj-gnInHOIbxbFx4.
There is a plethora of wonderful options to protect ourselves, based on peer-reviewed studies, etc. We got this. Experimental injections are being focused on b/c they are profitable, but they are not the only way, and the science is out on their effectiveness now majorly waning far too quickly. It makes no sense to carry on this way, and with all the fighting that is being incited. All the names, even in the media and government, etc. We will and can get through this together. We have to keep talking, sharing, and studying. We can't lock up the world, we can't silence science or discussion and call names, not if we want a world worth living in.