French ‘Freedom Convoys’ Head to Paris Against Vaccine Rules
French ‘Freedom Convoys’ Head to Paris to Protest Vaccine Rules
(Bloomberg) -- President Emmanuel Macron called for order as protesters against France’s Covid-19 vaccine passes headed toward Paris to attempt to blockade the capital, inspired by Canada’s “freedom convoys.”
Police set up barricades and armored vehicles at some Paris intersections, including along the Champs-Elysees. Tractors and water cannon were also deployed.
Macron called for “order” in an interview published Friday in Ouest-France, while saying he “understood and respected” fatigue and anger spurred by the pandemic.
Videos shared on social media Friday evening showed that several highway exits leading to Paris had been closed. Dozens of supporters gathered on foot at Place Denfert-Rochereau square in southern Paris, waving flags and listening to music.
Police have banned the “convois de la liberte”, or freedom convoys, and plan to deploy some 7,200 officers in the capital and at toll booths along major highways through Monday to deter protesters.
France’s vaccine pass, which prevents people who haven’t received Covid shots from participating in most social activities, including going to restaurants and cultural spaces.
France has begun easing rules in recent weeks, including ending mandates to work from home mandates and wear masks outside. Nightclubs can reopen on Feb. 16. The government has said it will lift Covid restrictions as soon as it can.
Protesters urged others on social media on Friday to remove banners from their vehicles and take smaller roads into Paris to avoid being stopped by the police. The convoys are due to head to Brussels on Monday, where they have also been banned.
The “freedom convoys” started in Ottawa on Jan. 28 in response to a Canadian government policy that requires truck drivers crossing the U.S. border to be vaccinated. The protests have since expanded to the U.S.-Canada border, where a truck blockade has caused automakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Stellantis NV to temporarily halt work at factories.
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