French ‘freedom convoys’ head to Paris to protest vaccine rules

Bloomberg

Protesters against France’s Covid-19 vaccine passes began driving toward Paris on Friday to attempt to block the capital, inspired by “freedom convoys” that began in Canada.
On Facebook and Telegram, people shared videos of cars setting off from across the country, including Strasbourg, in the east, Brittany, in the west, the region around Lille, in the north, and Lyon, south of Paris.
Police have banned the “convois de la liberte”, or freedom convoys, and plan to deploy around 7,200 officers in the capital and at toll booths along major highways through Monday in an effort to deter protesters.
The convoys are a response to 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 already begun easing rules in recent weeks, including ending mandates to work from home and wear masks outside, and nightclubs will be allowed to reopen on February 6. 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 US border to be vaccinated.