Advertisement

Thousands protest COVID-19 restrictions in France, inspired by Canada’s convoy

Click to play video: 'Trucker protests: French police fire tear gas at those protesting COVID-19 restrictions in Paris'
Trucker protests: French police fire tear gas at those protesting COVID-19 restrictions in Paris
WATCH: French police fire tear gas at those protesting COVID-19 restrictions in Paris – Feb 12, 2022

A convoy protesting COVID-19 restrictions breached police defenses and drove into central Paris on Saturday, snarling traffic around the Arc de Triomphe and on the Champs Elysees, as police fired tear gas at demonstrators.

Protesters in cars, campervans, tractors and other vehicles had converged on Paris from Lille, Perpignan, Nice and other cities late on Friday, despite warnings from Paris authorities that they would be barred from entering the capital.

Inspired by horn-blaring “Freedom Convoy” demonstrations in Canada, dozens of vehicles slipped through the police cordon, impeding traffic around the 19th-century arch and the top of the boutique-lined Champs Elysees, a magnet for tourists.

Inside the city’s limits, motorists in the “Freedom Convoy” waved tricolor flags and honked in defiance of the police ban.

Story continues below advertisement

On the Champs Elysees, clouds of tear gas swirled through the terraces of bars and restaurants.

Riot police also threw tear gas grenades to keep order at an authorized street protest where demonstrators, including some “Yellow Vests” railed against President Emmanuel Macron’s coronavirus vaccine pass rules and the cost of living.

Click to play video: 'Trucker convoy protesters gather in Toronto for second straight weekend'
Trucker convoy protesters gather in Toronto for second straight weekend

On the Champs Elysees, police used tear gas into the evening as sporadic scuffles continued and one person who collapsed on the sidewalk was brought to hospital for checks, police said.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

France requires people to show proof of vaccination to enter public places such as cafes, restaurants and museums, with a negative test no longer being sufficient for unvaccinated people.

Click to play video: 'Paris bans French convoy inspired by Ottawa protests from entering city'
Paris bans French convoy inspired by Ottawa protests from entering city

“We can’t take the vaccine pass any more,” said Nathalie Galdeano, who had come from southwest France by bus to participate in the protests.

Story continues below advertisement

Police said that they had arrested 54 people, handed out 337 fines and stopped 500 vehicles trying to get into Paris in the morning. The Interior Ministry said about 32,000 people participated in protests nationwide, including 7,600 in Paris.

Less than two months from a presidential election, Macron’s government is eager to keep protests from spiraling into large-scale demonstrations like the anti-government Yellow Vest revolt of 2018.

That movement began as a protest against fuel taxes and grew into a broader revolt that saw some of the worst street violence in decades and tested Macron’s authority.

Grievances expressed by protesters in the “Freedom Convoy” extend beyond COVID restrictions, with anger simmering over a perceived fall in standards of living amid surging inflation.

Police had mobilized more than 7,000 officers, set up checkpoints and deployed armoured personnel carriers and water cannon trucks in preparation for the protests.

Click to play video: '‘Freedom convoy’ in France, inspired by Canadian protests, gets underway'
‘Freedom convoy’ in France, inspired by Canadian protests, gets underway

Separately, police also said they had arrested five protesters in southern Paris in possession of sling shots, hammers, knives and gas masks.

Story continues below advertisement

Canadian truckers protesting a vaccine mandate for trans-border traffic have paralyzed parts of the capital Ottawa since late January and blocked U.S.-Canada crossing points. Canadian police began clearing protesters blocking a key bridge linking Canada and the United States on Saturday.

Sponsored content

AdChoices