Thousands of peaceful protestors demonstrated in the streets of Paris on Saturday after the government voted to extend France’s Covid passport until summer 2022.
The crowd, consisting of off duty police, yellow vest workers, and bundled up Parisians, was undeterred by the brisk kiss of winter’s beginning, nor by the chilling prospect of new levels of medical tyranny.
The French parliament approved action on Friday which paves the way for Prime Minister Jean Castex to extend the mandate for a Covid passport for access to public venues until July 31, 2022.
The newly approved bill allows France to reimpose mask mandates, restrict travel, and shutdown restaurants and public transit without approval or consultation from lawmakers.
It also increases the punishment for those caught making or obtaining fake health passes, to a maximum of 5 years in jail and a 75,000 euro fine, (approximately $87,000).
Lastly, principals at schools can now order students to report their vaccination status. Educational institutions can also track them if they are exposed to an infected person.
Health passes have been required for access to restaurants, bars, theatres and cinemas in France since Sept. 15 after the draconian measures were promised by President Emmanuel Macron during a live televised address in July.
Macron also made vaccines mandatory for all health care workers during this speech, prompting protest and early retirement from countless nurses and doctors who were once lauded as the heroes of the pandemic.
President Macron’s spokesman Gabriel Attal says a new national address will be delivered Tuesday in response to a spike in infections, and a new wave sweeping through Europe.
“The epidemic is picking up speed again in Europe, Europe has again become the epicenter of the epidemic,” Attal told reporters on Friday.
