French lawmakers said on Monday (Jan. 3) they would not be intimidated by death threats that dozens of them received over a bill that will require people to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to go to a restaurant or cinema or take the train.
The new law, which would remove the option of showing a negative test result instead of having the jabs, has the backing of most parties and is almost certain to be passed by the lower house in a vote late on Monday or early Tuesday.
However, the proposed tightening of the rules has caused an upsurge of anger among the public, with some lawmakers claiming they have been subject to violent threats.
“We will not yield,” lawmaker Yael Braun-Pivet told parliament, referring to death threats which she said lawmakers of all political stripes had received. “It’s our democracy that is at stake.”
Health Minister Oliver Veran lambasted the “selfishness” of those who oppose COVID-19 vaccinations, vowing that death threats against lawmakers will not go unpunished.