Some have camped at the gates of Paris. Thousands of opponents of the vaccine pass, who came in convoys from all over France, are on their way on Saturday February 12 to enter the capital and demonstrate, despite the ban by the police headquarters. Hundreds of cars, motorhomes and vans left Friday from all over France, were stopped in the evening at the entrance to Paris. A heterogeneous gathering of opponents of President Emmanuel Macron and “yellow vests”the “freedom convoy” was formed on the model of the mobilization of truck drivers which paralyzed the Canadian capital Ottawa. Follow our live.
Police forces widely mobilized. Nearly 7,200 police and gendarmes “are deployed over the next 3 days to enforce vehicle convoy bans”, according to the Prefecture of Police. The latter explained Twitter having proceeded at 6 a.m. Saturday to 95 verbalizations.
The demonstrators want the withdrawal of the vaccination pass. Most of the claims are related to vaccination against Covid-19. Participants’ complaints are also linked to the increase in the cost of energy and purchasing power.
Jean Castex promises to be inflexible. “If they block traffic or if they try to block the capital, you have to be very firm” he explained Friday on France 2. “The right to demonstrate and to have an opinion are a constitutionally guaranteed right in our Republic and in our democracy. The right to block others or prevent coming and going is not.”
Calls for “European convergence”. Some demonstrators intend to then reach Brussels, the capital of Belgium, for a “European convergence” scheduled for Monday, February 14. The Belgian authorities have banned access to the capital.