Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of French cities for the second weekend in a row to protest against health passes and mandatory vaccination for medics. In Paris, rallies ended up in scuffles with police.
Law enforcement officers in the French capital used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowds as the situation on the streets spiraled out of control during the massive demonstrations provoked by the government’s plans to extend health passes for public places and enforce mandatory vaccination for certain jobs, including health workers.
Unreal numbers on the streets of Paris, let's see if the mainstream media call it "couple of hundred" . pic.twitter.com/avokmVmSkS
— Karl F Kennedy ????️ ???? (@KarlFKennedy17) July 24, 2021
???????????? ALERTE – De plus en plus de #manifestants arrivent à envahir les #ChampsElysees à #Paris contre le #PassSanitaire. Les forces de l'ordre ne sont pas assez nombreux. (@Thms_rnn) #AntiPassSanitaire #manif24juillet #manifs24juillet pic.twitter.com/FCxWEEwhrz
— Speed Actu (@actuspeed) July 24, 2021
Videos published on social media showed a crowd of angry young people forcing police officers to retreat from the Champs-Elysees by blocking the road, pelting officers with various objects and even attacking police vans. Law enforcement responded by deploying water cannon to disperse the crowd.
Le canon à eau est utilisé sur les #ChampsElysees. Plusieurs centaines de manifestants #AntiPassSanitaire bloquent la circulation. Tensions en cours. #manif24juillet https://t.co/XcUJ2iT3rU pic.twitter.com/nrV4SeILnZ
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) July 24, 2021
ALERTE – Les forces de l’ordre obligées de fuirent face à des centaines de manifestants qui descendent les #ChampsElysees.
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) July 24, 2021
Situation extrêmement tendue. #manifs24juillet #manif24juillet #AntiPassSanitaire https://t.co/vHuoUaKN3m pic.twitter.com/udq9L2qOts
Elsewhere in Paris, a tense standoff between officers in riot gear and demonstrators ended up in a brief but fierce scuffle that prompted the police to use tear gas. In another incident, a crowd attacked a police motorbike by pelting it with bottles, forcing law enforcement officers to intervene.
Tension now rising in Paris at the demonstration against the PassSanitaire. Protesters try to force a cordon of the mobile gendarmerie. pic.twitter.com/KL2axS3OqL
— Awakened World & Lawyers of Light (@AwakenedOf) July 24, 2021
Thousands of people took to the streets of the French capital to join at least three major rallies. One of them, attended by people wearing yellow vests – a sign of another major anti-government movement – was organized near the Place de la Bastille.
