Never has the Canadian flag traveled so much. It has become a symbol in the world of protests against sanitary measures. Indeed, two weeks after its arrival in the streets of the capital Ottawa, the “convoy of freedom” is putting trand the mess elsewhere in the world. A New Zealand version circles Parliament in Wellington. In France, demonstrators from all over France meet in Paris on Saturday February 12. Franceinfo takes stock of this movement, initially made up of truckers, which is spreading.
In Canada, trucks around the Parliament of Ottawa since January 29
here now more than a week since the downtown core of the Canadian capital has been paralyzed. The Parliament district is occupied by hundreds of truckers from all over the country. Some left on January 22 from British Columbia, that is to say 4,300 kilometers from west to east swallowed up in a week.
Initially, the “freedom convoy”, as the movement calls itself, was launched to protest against the decision to oblige truckers to be vaccinated to cross the border into the United States. But other protesters have since joined the movement. Faced with a situation that he judges “out of control”the mayor of Ottawa ended up declaring a state of emergency in his city.
The protests have spread to other major cities across the country. Among them, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Quebec… Also, the Ambassador Bridge, a vital trade route between the North American neighbors, which connects Ontario to Detroit, in the United States, is also blocked by demonstrators.
Canada-US border blocked by Canadian truckers after the Ambassador Bridge. More than 25% of all merchandise trade passes through this route between the United States and Canada.https://t.co/c6hvjGs9NX pic.twitter.com/jtuyvYtqnK
— Flo (91) Code Green (@Flobga) February 8, 2022
In France, meet on Saturday in Paris
The Canadian initiative also seems to have given ideas in France. Opponents of health restrictions are in turn organizing a “freedom convoy” on the roads of France. Objective: “roll in Paris”, Saturday, February 12. The first convoys set off for the capital on Wednesday morning. Better to allow time, indeed, because it is about“take the secondary network” and of “drive between 50 and 80 km/h”.
Dozens of bikers and cars gathered in front of the Carrefour de Lingostière service station in #Nice06 for the first #ConvoidelaLiberte of France pic.twitter.com/CkJOObR6d2
— Nice news (@nice_actu) February 9, 2022
Many Facebook pages or groups dedicated to the organization of this convoy have appeared since the end of January. The largest, entitled “The Freedom Convoy”, brought together nearly 300,000 members on Wednesday morning. Other “dissident” pages, sometimes regionalized, also exist. On social networks, Internet users exchange numerous route maps.
Unlike the current movement in Ottawa (Canada) or even Wellington (New Zealand), where hundreds of trucks are currently surrounding official buildings, the French version is targeting the capital, but without a specific location for the moment and the drivers are rather minority.
In Belgium, a “European convergence”, Monday, February 14
After Paris, Brussels? In any case, “those who wish” can then go to Belgium for a “European convergence” scheduled for the following day, Monday. A Facebook group “European Freedom Convoy” claimed 49,000 members on Wednesday morning. If we are to believe the publications on this page, convoys could leave from Austria, Hungary, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy or from Croatia.
The Belgian authorities remain vigilant. “We know that there is a call in all European capitals to take the road to Brussels on Sunday evening to form a convoysaid a spokeswoman for the Brussels-Ixelles police. “We will communicate during the week on a possible request and authorization of the action.”
In the Netherlands, convoys here and there
In the Netherlands, it is far from Amsterdam that convoys have been seen. Noord-Holland, Flevoland, Limburg, Overijssel, Leeuwarden… Omrop Fryslâan TV and radio channel (in Dutch) reported on Sunday January 30 that about 25 trucks, dozens of cars and several tractors had gathered in Leeuwarden. The industry association, Transport and Logistics Netherlands (TLN), assures that it is not “not involved”.
Also in Germany
No major action, to date, in the streets of Berlin, but convoys elsewhere in the country. For example in Schwerin, explains the Schweriner Volkszeitung (link in German) who nevertheless notes that “Telegram channels call for freedom convoy” to the capital for the days to come.
In England, a punch action in front of Westminster
In England, the UK Freedom Convoy regrouped in Westminster on Monday (February 7th) in support of Canadian truckers, according to Britain’s News Channel (link in English).
In New Zealand, trucks around Wellington’s parliament since February 8
In New Zealand, a convoy of trucks and motorhomes blocked the parliament district in the capital, Wellington, on Tuesday. In the procession, several Canadian flags were seen. Hundreds of vehicles, on which were posted messages such as “give us back our freedom” and “coercion is not consent”, parked in the streets. Hundreds more drove through the city center honking their horns.
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In Australia, actions underway in Canberra
In Australia, several hundred demonstrators first gathered in the capital, Canberra, on Monday January 31. They put the cover back on Saturday, according to the Canberra Times (link in English)or “at least 1,000 people” gathered near Parliament. They do not intend to move and the authorities fear violence, according to the washington post (link in English). Organizers called on five million Australians to converge on the capital.
In Canberra, Australia, the first trucks of the #FreedomConvoy2022 arrive #NoVaccinePassportsAnywhere #CanberraConvoy pic.twitter.com/xVcnoAr0y4
— Martine Dechamps (@MartineDechamp1) February 5, 2022