PARIS (Dispatches) -- Residents of Paris took to the streets on Saturday in yet another demonstration against mandatory COVID-19 passes, media reported here on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the protesters gathered at the Champ de Mars park near the Eiffel Tower. The protesters started the march after 12:30 GMT, playing music by French artists, waving national flags and chanting “freedom, freedom.” The protesters also called on French President Emmanuel Macron to resign.
Two other protests against the COVID-19 passes were organized by the Yellow Vests movement. Other French cities were also scheduled to have their protests.
In July, Macron announced a series of new restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19, including a special health pass indicating that a person has either been vaccinated or has a negative test result for COVID-19.
At the end of last month, the pass was already required in museums, theaters, movies and all public events attended by over 50 people. Starting August 9, it became mandatory in restaurants, bars, shopping centers, airplanes and long-distance trains.
The move caused widespread consternation in French society, with protests against the measure rocking the country every other week. Last Saturday, a total of 160,000 voiced their objections across France.
In London, five police officers were injured during clashes with people protesting against coronavirus vaccines in London, the Metropolitan Police said.
The clashes broke out when demonstrators attempted to force their way into the headquarters of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Some of them were arrested.
“These ugly scenes are not why police officers come into work. This level of violence is totally unacceptable and it will not be tolerated. Five officers were injured while policing a protest group in Canary Wharf and at South Kensington,” the police tweeted, attaching a video of the clashes.
The UK government is preparing a nationwide revaccination campaign that is expected to be finalized later this month upon receiving recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization.