French authorities informed that more than 105,000 individuals have taken part in rallies across France against the implementation of a new coronavirus permit.
Unvaccinated people would be barred from public places under a new draught law.
Demonstrators in the capital of France, Paris, hoisted posters with slogans expressing disagreement such as “no to vaccine passes.”
After the protests became violent in several areas, officials from the Interior Ministry reported ten police officers were injured and 34 individuals were arrested .
Instead, visitors to a variety of locations, including pubs and restaurants, would need to be completely vaccinated.
The government expects the new rules to take effect on January 15, though the Senate, which is dominated by the opposition, might postpone the process.
On Saturday, though, demonstrators accused the government of infringing on their rights and treating citizens unequally.
Others were enraged by President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks on unvaccinated residents earlier last week, in which he told Le Parisian newspaper that he intended to “piss them off.”
Mr Macron’s statements, according to one protester, hospital administrator Virginie Houget, were “the final straw.”
And demonstrators in Paris, where 18,000 took to the streets against the new proposed rule, chanted, “We’ll piss you off,” in response to his vulgar words.
On television, clashes between protestors and police appeared to grow violent in several areas. During conflicts with demonstrators in Montpellier, cops used tear gas.
The rallies drew an estimated four times the number of people as the previous significant demonstrations on 18 December, when 25,500 people marched through the country.
Despite the loud protests, opposition to the new regulations is not common, and recent polling indicates that the vaccine pass is supported by the vast majority of people.
Meanwhile, as the novel Omicron type spreads across France, new coronavirus infections are fast increasing.
On Friday, the country registered more than 300,000 new cases for the second week in a row, and admissions to intensive care units are continuously increasing, placing strain on healthcare systems.
According to some hospitals, 85 percent of ICU patients are not protected against Covid-19.
