France in support of freedom convoy
France’s Freedom Convoy has garnered support from some of the country’s political opposition, particularly from far-right and far-left groups.
Protests against Covid-19 restrictions were held in France and the Netherlands on Saturday, inspired by the ‘freedom convoy’ demonstrations in Canada. In France, police fired tear gas at protesters on the Champs Élysées in Paris shortly after a convoy arrived. Protesters in cars managed to get through police checkpoints in central Paris, causing traffic jams around the Arc de Triomphe. In defiance of a police order not to enter the city, the motorists waved French flags and honked, inspired by horn-blaring demonstrations in Canada.
Earlier in the day, a convoy of vehicles from across the Netherlands brought The Hague’s city center to a halt.
Truckers in France are reportedly planning to follow in the footsteps of the Canadian ‘Freedom Convoy,’ mobilizing large groups of trucks to protest vaccine mandates and other Covid-19 restrictions imposed by Paris. According to BFM TV, demonstrators intend to “paralyze” Paris next week before joining a larger “European convergence” in Brussels.
The transatlantic network connecting France's 'Freedom Convoy' to Canada https://t.co/ia124HdZ9j pic.twitter.com/hpX9glzUNh
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2022
According to the outlet, a leaflet announcing the ‘Freedom Convoy France’ has been distributed on social media networks, urging “citizens” to “recover their freedom, fundamental rights, unconditional access to care, education, and culture, and respect for the essential values of our Constitution.” It also stated that “Canadian truckers [had] paved the way for us.”
According to Bruzz news, the truck drivers hope to begin their journey toward their respective capital cities on Monday before continuing on to Brussels. The outlet stated that it was unclear how many people would actually participate, but that police were keeping an eye on the situation.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that a Facebook group called ‘Convoy to DC 2022’ of US truckers who planned to drive to Washington, DC next month had over 100,000 members before being deleted by Meta. According to reports, the organizers have since moved to Telegram, where over 28,000 people have joined.
