Papeete: French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed for national unity and vaccination to fight the resurgent virus, and lashed out at those fueling anti-vaccination sentiment and protests.
About 160,000 people protested around France on Saturday against a special COVID-19 pass for restaurants and mandatory vaccinations for health workers.
Many marchers shouted liberty! and said the government shouldn’t tell them what to do.
Macron visited a hospital in French Polynesia on Saturday night Tahiti time.
He asked what is your freedom worth if you say to me I don’t want to be vaccinated,’ but tomorrow you infect your father, your mother or myself?
He said protesters are free to express themselves in a calm and respectful manner.
But Macron said demonstrations won’t make the coronavirus go away.