Healthcare marches in France spark clashes but also support
Healthcare workers across France protested against a lack of hospital funding yesterday, prompting violence in some places; but heartwarming scenes in others, as some police supported the protesters.
Healthcare workers were called by several unions to march yesterday (Tuesday June 16), to demand better funding for hospitals and healthcare, and a rise in pay.
Union CGT said that there had been thousands present across 250 marches nationwide. These included nurses, care assistants, care home workers doctors, and at-home carers.
Many said that despite having been 鈥渃lapped鈥� and lauded as heroes during the peak of the Covid-19 crisis, they already feel abandoned and left behind.
Some violence
In Paris, several thousand marched in front of the health ministry on Avenue de 厂茅驳耻谤. Some violence erupted, during what police said was an otherwise 鈥減eaceful protests by carers鈥�, with 32 people arrested.
Most of the violence appeared to come from a 鈥減re-march鈥� of people ahead of the main protest, who were 鈥渁ggressive towards law enforcement鈥� and damaged vehicles and buildings.
These elements did not have the support of healthcare workers. Patrick Pelloux, president of emergency doctor group l'Association des M茅decins Urgentistes Hospitaliers de France said that the violent individuals were 鈥渏ust hooligans; ultra-violent idiots鈥�.
Some violence erupted in Nantes, where around a thousand people marched peacefully in front of the CHU hospital. Some violent groups attempted to disrupt the protest, police said.
On its Twitter account, the Police Nationale de Loire-Atlantique said that the clashes had been perpetrated by 鈥渉ostile individuals鈥� and that 鈥渁 violent group threw projectiles at the law enforcement officers鈥�.
Marches nationwide
There were also marches of between several hundred to several thousand people in Bordeaux, Bayonne, Mont-de-Marsan, P茅rigueux and Gu茅ret (Nouvelle-Aquitaine); Toulouse (Occitanie); Marseille, Avignon (Provence-Alpes-C么te d'Azur); Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Metz, Epinal (Grand Est); Grenoble, Chamb茅ry, Clermont-Ferrand (Auvergne-Rh么ne-Alpes); Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, Laval, Mans (Pays de la Loire); Dijon (Bourgogne-Franche-Comt茅); and Orl茅ans and Ch芒teauroux (Centre-Val-de-Loire).
Protesters carried banners with messages such as: 鈥淔ewer slogans, more euros鈥�; 鈥淢ore euros for the heroes鈥� and 鈥淚n homage to our Covid victims, never again鈥�.
Some carried banners reading 鈥�H么pital asphyxi茅 (suffocated hospital) / I can鈥檛 breathe鈥�, in reference to the Black Lives Matter movement protests that have been taking place around the world in recent weeks.
Others had banners against the 鈥�厂茅驳耻谤鈥� healthcare debates currently taking place on the issue of the health service organisation and workers鈥� salaries.
Read more: '厂茅驳耻谤 de la sant茅' bids to reform French healthcare
(Photo: )
Police support
In N卯mes and Lille, there were heartwarming scenes as police tasked with controlling the march themselves began to applaud the protesters.
A video filmed by a police officer present in N卯mes showed CRS officers taking off their helmets, placing them on the ground, and beginning to applaud the healthcare workers.
The workers then did the same back to the police, with chants of 鈥�Tous ensemble! Tous ensemble! (All together! All together!)鈥�. Sirens were also played to show support as more protesters gathered, and some workers laid down their white jackets in front of the police in solidarity.
Similar scenes were filmed in Lille, where police had been ordered to secure the surroundings of the town鈥檚 Place de la R茅publique.
Police applauded as protesters walked past.
Related stories
Post-Covid-19: the future of health services in France
Health staff get pay rise after new investment
France legalises protests despite ongoing health emergency
Thousands protest racism in France despite Covid-19
20,000 protest police violence in France
