Thousands protest new Turkish vaccine and test rules

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More than 2,000 Turks demonstrated in Istanbul against official coronavirus-related mandates including vaccinations, tests and masks, responding to new government measures and an inoculation push, Reuters reports.

In Turkey's largest such protest, mostly maskless people shouted slogans, held placards and Turkish flags, and sang songs in defence of what they called individual rights, echoing anti-vaccine rallies in some other countries.

"This pandemic is just going on with even more restrictions on our freedoms and there's no end to it," said Erdem Boz, 40, a software developer. "Masks, vaccines, PCR tests might all become mandatory. We're here to voice our discontent with this."

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A boy holds a placard as anti-vaccine demonstrators wave Turkish flags during a protest against official coronavirus-related mandates, including vaccinations, tests and masks, in Istanbul, Turkey on September 11. — Reuters
A boy holds a placard as anti-vaccine demonstrators wave Turkish flags during a protest against official coronavirus-related mandates, including vaccinations, tests and masks, in Istanbul, Turkey on September 11. — Reuters

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