Suspected arsonists attack vaccine centre in France

THE FIRE early Sunday morning at the temporary vaccination centre in Urrugne in the southwestern Basque region is being treated as arson, prosecutor Jerome Bourrier in the local town of Bayonne wrote on Twitter.

Bordeaux, July 19: Suspected arsonists set fire to a Covid-19 vaccination centre in southwest France over the weekend, prosecutors said, as the government prepared to unveil a draft law on Monday aimed at pressuring citizens into getting jabbed.

The fire early Sunday morning at the temporary vaccination centre in Urrugne in the southwestern Basque region is being treated as arson, prosecutor Jerome Bourrier in the local town of Bayonne wrote on Twitter on Sunday. The mayor of the town, Philippe Aramendi, said there was “no doubt” about the intentional nature of the blaze, saying an inflammable liquid had been poured around the outside of the tent housing the centre.

“Fortunately the fire brigade was able to quickly put out the flames and the tent has only been partially destroyed,” he said.

On Friday night, a vaccination centre in Lans-enVercors, southeast France, was vandalised and tagged with anti-vaccination graffiti. Around 114,000 people protested across France on Saturday against stricter vaccination rules which are set to come into force under new legislation that will be adopted at a cabinet meeting on Monday.

The draft law will then be put to a vote later this week in parliament, where President Emmanuel Macron holds a comfortable working majority.

Under measures announced by Macron last week, people will need to show either proof of full vaccination or a recent test to enter public venues such as restaurants, bars, shopping centres, long-distance trains and cinemas.

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