French protesting against Covid measures clash with police in Paris

French anti-riot police fired teargas as clashes broke out during protests in central Paris against Covid-19 curbs and vaccination, local television reported.

Television pictures on Saturday showed police trying to push back demonstrators near the capital's Gare Saint-Lazare railway station after the protesters pushed over a police motorbike carrying several officers.

At another protest called by far-right politicians in west Paris, demonstrators opposed to anti-virus measures carried banners reading "Stop the dictatorship".

Across France, protests were also planned in cities including Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes and Toulouse.

French lawmakers are due to vote this weekend on a bill drafted by the government aimed at setting up a health pass and mandatory vaccination for health workers.

Political extremes on streets 

Last weekend, more than 100,000 people protested around France against the measures. 

They included far-right politicians and activists as well as some others angry at President Emmanuel Macron for various reasons.

Remaining members of France’s yellow vest movement, largely from political extremes, are also using the virus bill to try to rekindle its flame.

The movement started in 2018 as a broad uprising against perceived economic injustice and led to months of protests marked by violence between demonstrators and police, but subsided after the French government addressed many of the protesters’ concerns.

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