Hard-right politician champions France's Covid health pass protests
More than 200,000 people braced scorching heat on Saturday to protest against France's Covid-19 health pass. The protest movement has no official leader but hard-right politician Florian Philippot has made opposition to the health passport his cause celebre.
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Protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday for the fifth consecutive weekend to demonstrate against Covid-19 rules which since last Monday compel people to show a health pass for daily activities in many public places.
They rallied through the streets of Paris, Marseille, Nice, Montpellier and other towns waving placards reading "Pass=Apartheid" and chanting "Freedom, freedom".
Important cortège dans les rues de Paris contre le #PassSanitaire. #manifestation14aout pic.twitter.com/m0ia9nZZin
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) August 14, 2021
Opponents of the pass argue that the rules encroach on civil liberties. They also oppose compulsory vaccination for health workers.
Florian Philippot, head of The Patriots party, was once more a key figure on the rally in Paris.
For close to 10 months he has been out demonstrating against the government's management of the Covid-19 health crisis, lockdown and the compulsory wearing of masks.
The numbers attending the marches have risen from several hundred to more than 250,000 last weekend: a surprisingly high number during the summer holiday period.
"More people than last week, despite being a holiday weekend! Incredible!" he tweeted. "French people won't let themselves be walked over."
Plus de monde que la semaine dernière à la surprise générale, malgré le week-end du 15 août ! Incroyable ! Le peuple de France ne se laisse pas faire ! 🇫🇷 #manifestations14aout pic.twitter.com/FrJxXgQGUK
— Florian Philippot (@f_philippot) August 14, 2021
Presidential hopeful
Philippot was Marine Le Pen's top aide during the 2017 presidential election where her hard-right National Front (now National Rally) party lost out to Emmanuel Macron.
Philippot quit in September 2017 after being ridiculed for giving the party a softer edge.
His former comrades say he is a political dead weight. But Phillipot believes he can make a comeback.
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He boasts his party now has 25,000 members. "It's more than the National Rally," he told RFI.
Unlike the National Rally (NR), The Patriots are not afraid to rub shoulders with conspiracy figures, even if Philippot himself says: "I'm not anti-vax, I'm anti-health pass."
Philippot has declared himself a presidential candidate in next April's elections as has his former boss Marine Le Pen.
For the moment the National Rally claims not to feel threatened.
"His procession is not the one that gathers the most," NR spokesman Philippe Ballard told RFI.
"In the regional elections, Florian Philippot's party only managed to put together a list in one region to get a third of the score the NR got."
But there are still nine months to go: a long time in politics.
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