Despite a ban, thousands of French opponents of vaccination certificates drove to Paris in protest convoys. Numerous cars, mobile homes and vans from all over France drove on the outer ring of the French capital on Saturday morning. The Paris police mobilized 7,200 emergency services to prevent blockades by motorcades. Meanwhile, protesting truck drivers in Canada are defying a court order to clear a key border crossing.
Thousands of people from all over France drove their vehicles to the outskirts of Paris on Friday evening and spent the night there. The aim is to form a “mass of vehicles that cannot be contained by the police,” said the demonstrators in correspondence seen by the AFP news agency.
Among the participants in the convoys are opponents of vaccination, but also people who want to protest against increased prices and against the government in Paris in general. Some of the protesters wanted to step up the usual demonstrations against corona restrictions in Paris on Saturday. Some also planned to continue to Brussels, where a “European meeting” was to take place on Monday. The Belgian authorities have also banned the planned convoys.
Memories of the Yellow Vests
French police estimated that 3,000 vehicles were involved in the various convoys as of Friday night. An organizer of the protests told AFP that the action was “of phenomenal proportions”. The convoys evoke memories of the so-called yellow vest protests that shook the country in 2018 and 2019.
According to the Paris police, 7,200 emergency services have been mobilized to prevent blockades by convoys of vehicles. The prefecture had previously banned a protest event in the capital. On Twitter, the police showed their equipment for removing blockages: they published photos of articulated lorries and trucks equipped with cranes or water cannons.
The authorities pointed out that obstructing traffic could be punished with up to two years in prison and fines of 4,500 euros. The first tickets were issued on Saturday morning for “participating in an unauthorized demonstration”.
The French judiciary rejected two urgent applications against the ban on Friday. “This is treason,” criticized anti-vaccination and “yellow vest” supporter Sophie Tissier. The ban contradicts both the law and the freedom to demonstrate, she claimed.
President Macron is understanding – but calls for “the greatest possible calm”.
Prime Minister Jean Castex announced a relentless crackdown by the authorities. “If they block traffic or try to shut down the capital, we have to be very determined.” In an interview with the regional newspaper “Ouest-France”, President Emmanuel Macron showed understanding for the “fatigue” in the pandemic. “We’re all tired of what we’ve been through for the past two years,” he said. For some, that exhaustion turns to anger. “I recognize that and respect it,” he said. Nevertheless, he calls for “the greatest possible calm”.
The so-called freedom convoys were inspired by the current protest by Canadian truck drivers, who largely paralyzed the capital Ottawa and three important border crossings to the USA with a blockade. On Friday, a Canadian court ordered the truckers to clear the Ambassador Bridge between the province of Ontario and the US metropolis of Detroit by the evening.
However, the deadline passed without the protesters complying with the order. On Saturday, police officers took position to clear the bridge, a journalist from the AFP news agency reported. In the online service Twitter, the police called on the demonstrators to “respect the law” and behave “peacefully”. Local residents have been asked to avoid the area. The Ambassador Bridge is an important artery and trade link.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is coming under increasing pressure over the past two weeks of protests. US President Joe Biden called on the Canadian authorities for tougher action on Friday because of the economic impact of the blockades on the United States. However, Trudeau ruled out the use of the army.
Source: Stern
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