French hospital worker: I'm on hunger strike over vaccine mandate

Thierry Paysant, security worker and firefighter at the Pasteur hospital, and Christophe, caregiver at the Pasteur hospital, hold a banner which reads "Hunger strike" to protest against France's restrictions, including compulsory health passes, to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, near the Abbaye Saint-Pons in Nice, France, September 15, 2021. Picture taken September 15, 2021. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

NICE, France (Reuters) - A French hospital worker has said he is on hunger strike to protest against a government rule that healthcare workers will be suspended if they are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thierry Paysant, a fire safety officer with the public hospital system in Nice, southern France, has pitched a tent in front of the city's Saint-Pons abbey, and erected a placard reading "Hunger Strike" in large red letters.