Tens of thousands of anti-vaccine pass protestors took to the streets in Paris for the fifth successive weekend against the new rules after it was launched despite fierce opposition.

French President Emmanuel Macron sees the health pass - which essentially makes vaccination mandatory in order to carry on with routine activities like sipping a coffee in a cafe or travelling on a train - as the key to emerging from the pandemic and avoiding further lockdowns.  

But protesters - an eclectic mix of far-right, yellow vest anti-inequality activists, anti-vaxxers and civil liberties campaigners - say that the policy encroaches on the basic freedoms so prized by the French. 

Two separate protests were taking place in Paris - in a sign of the inability of the protesters to fully unite - with slogans like 'free France!', 'stop the corona-madness' or 'yes to the freedom to choose' being chanted and brandished.  

Head of right-wing party 'Les Patriotes' Floriant Philippot lead one of the marches under a banner reading 'Freedom' in Paris on Saturday, with 250,000 protesters expected to take to the streets nationwide.

Authorities were set to get tougher on the mandatory health pass for entering restaurants, trains and public places.

From this week, citizens have been required to show the pass in public places, proving that they have been vaccinated or have recently been tested negative for the coronavirus.

While police had instructions to be lenient the first week, the government has vowed to get tougher on health pass checks from next week.