In France, where police deployed teargas and water cannon against some protesters, an estimated 160,000 took to the streets in nationwide protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s health pass that will curtail access to restaurants and public spaces for unvaccinated people.

“Freedom, freedom”, chanted demonstrators in France, carrying placards denouncing “Macron, Tyrant”, “Big Pharma shackles freedom” or saying “No to the pass of shame”.

The demonstrations highlight the conflict between people caught between the advice of the World Health Organisation and other health agencies and the need to earn a living. In Indonesia and Britain, governments have pressed ahead with easing of restrictions even in the face of surging cases.

Meanwhile, around 5000 people demonstrated in Athens, carrying placards touting slogans such as “Don’t touch our children”. And in Italy, protesters gathered in Rome to demonstrate against a mandatory “green pass” for indoor dining and entertainment.

In France, as elsewhere in Europe, the government is making it harder for reluctant citizens to put off getting the jabs. Legislation now being considered by politicians will make vaccinations compulsory for certain professions, while the health pass will severely restrict social life for holdouts from the end of the month.

There were signs the tougher measures announced on July 13 were having the desired effect: 48 per cent of the population were fully vaccinated as of Friday, up eight percentage points from July 10. While more than three-quarters of French people back Mr Macron’s measures, according to a July 13 Elabe poll for BFMTV, a sizeable and vocal minority do not.

Elodie, 34, a care assistant at a Strasbourg nursing home, denounced “the blackmail of caregivers who were at the front line” during the first wave and who were now threatened with “no more pay” and even being fired.

“They’ve been lying to us since the beginning,” she said.

Kristian Pulkownik, 33, was arrested after police tracked him down at a home on Marlborough Street in Surry Hills at 11.20pm on Saturday night.

He was charged with affray, joining or continuing in an unlawful assembly, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal, and breaching a Covid-19 restriction.

He briefly appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday where he represented himself and did not apply for bail before he appears in court again next month.

A second man, Remon Korkise, 36, was granted bail after he denied allegations that he had punched a police horse during a separate incident during the protests.

Parramatta Bail Court heard that he would plead not guilty after being charged with assaulting an officer, animal cruelty and breaching health orders.

The court was told that he had lost work as a photographer due to the pandemic and attended the protests out of “frustration”.




Oppressed efnik victims.

Setanta wrote on Jul 25^th, 2021 at 7:23pm:


He did hit the horse, he has been charged, and he will be convicted.

I hope he gets time behind bars.

Maybe Three-Finger-Haji will go visit him.

Mr Hammer wrote on Jul 25^th, 2021 at 8:22pm:


No, not Australian names.

Russian and Polish, I think.

Have you ever seen people more white than them though?

And, do you get off on watching animal cruelty?

No need to answer - I know the answers.

greggerypeccary wrote on Jul 25^th, 2021 at 7:38pm:
quite clearly from that video and photo he did not hit the horse. Its quite clear, only a  fool would  argue otherwise after watching the video.

Setanta wrote on Jul 25^th, 2021 at 7:23pm:


Well, I've seen reports there may have been as many as 50K of them. Some are selfish arseholes. I saw footage of one guy doing fire twirling. The brawlers were arseholes. The horse pusher is an arsehole because he would have been told to move on and probably didn't.

But look at the normal everyday people in the crowds. Many would be people forced out of work and questing why.