As soon as the television speech by French President Emmanuel Macron was over on Monday evening, a Google trend became apparent: Many French people were apparently trying to get fake vaccination certificates on the Internet. This was reported by the French newspaper “L’Indépendant”. Accordingly, Google searches for bogus health passports skyrocketed after Macron announced that health workers in France were required to have vaccinations.
Access to indoor areas, such as restaurants or bars, is also made more difficult for people who have not been vaccinated in France. This is said to have led many to ask for proof of vaccination even in pharmacies, even though they do not want to be vaccinated. This was reported by the public radio station “France Bleu”. “Before we were asked, but since the announcement by the president on Monday evening it has not stopped,” a pharmacist told the broadcaster.
In France, thousands of people protested against the latest corona measures by their governments on Wednesday. The demonstrators criticized, among other things, the introduction of a corona vaccination requirement for health and care workers. In the French capital Paris, the police used tear gas against the demonstrators.
On the national holiday, around 19,000 people across the country took to the streets against new corona rules introduced by President Emmanuel Macron. Around 2,250 people demonstrated in Paris, while other protests took place in Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg, among others.
According to surveys, however, the majority of French people approve of the new regulations. A record number of French people have booked vaccination appointments since the announcement. “L’Indépendant” reported that significantly more people searched the Internet for actual vaccination appointments than for fake health passports.
In Paris, security forces used tear gas on Wednesday evening to disperse a group of demonstrators. According to the police, they had deviated from the approved route. They also threw objects at the police and set fire to them.
Protests against compulsory vaccination also in Greece
In Greece, too, thousands of people protested against the stricter corona requirements. According to police, around 4,000 demonstrators gathered in the center of the capital Athens on Wednesday evening. They chanted: “We say no!” and “Resignation!”. Some of the protesters attacked journalists and photographers.
The Greek government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Monday that health and care workers would have to be vaccinated against corona. The country is reacting to the rapid spread of the delta variant of the corona virus. On Wednesday, the Greek authorities reported more than 2,900 new infections, a week ago there were only 800 cases.
In addition, from Friday until the end of August, only those who have been vaccinated are allowed to visit bars, cinemas and theaters. Of the 10.7 million people in Greece, 4.3 million have been fully vaccinated so far. (Tsp, AFP)
I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
