“Freedom convoy”: leaving from all over France, the first demonstrators arrive in Paris
Supporters of the yellow vest movement hold the French flag in a parking lot of a shopping center in Longueau as they cheer on the French drivers of the "Convoi de la liberté", February 11, 2022. REUTERS - PASCAL ROSSIGNOL
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
Leaving in convoys from all over France, thousands of opponents of the vaccine pass or the government approached Paris on Friday, most of them independently, each in their vehicle and guided via applications, a logistical and coordination challenge for this improvised mobilization.
The police headquarters blocked the gates of the capital to them.
Despite this, a few thousand people gathered in the south of Paris to welcome them.
Advertising
Read more
The "freedom convoy" has arrived in the Paris region: a little over 3,000 vehicles according to the authorities for this demonstration, which started from all over France on the model of Canadian truckers against health measures.
“Freedom Convoy” protesters are closing in on Paris, despite the ban
Nearly 1,800 vehicles are currently on their way to the capital
➡️ https://t.co/HvfS35s5r7 pic.twitter.com/OT4tPyG91y
– The Parisian (@le_Parisien) February 11, 2022
Hats, flags, tricolor jackets, blue, white, red, but also the maple leaf, a tribute to Canadian truckers.
An example to follow for these demonstrators declaring to defend freedom against the health dictatorship.
“
We are locked up,
explains a demonstrator, at the microphone of our special
correspondent Simon Rozé
.
You have to pass a paper to show that you've done I don't know what injection... There you go.
»
The organizer of the Parisian movement, Éric Richermoz, summarizes the demands of the people present here:
We've been on the streets for more than a year to defend the freedom of the French people
Eric Richermoz, organizer
RFI
Everyone came to welcome the French version of the Canadian movement, the freedom convoy.
Just over 3,000 vehicles were to reach Paris from all over France, but only had to because
the authorities blocked the gates of Paris from them
.
Emmanuel Macron called
for "calm
".
In the capital, we do not have too much information for the rest of the evening.
Despite the vagueness, things are being organized for the reception, food is collected and people offer to accommodate the members of the convoy who would arrive here.
From Montauban, it is this gentleman who has traveled since early in the morning, more than 600 km to send a message: "
It is the opposition which is demonstrating, it is one of the ways of trying to open the people's eyes on what is actually happening
.
“A message that he intends to hammer again
this Saturday, February 12 on the occasion of a new event
.
Lille, Strasbourg, Vimy, Chateaubourg...
From daybreak, processions of hundreds of private cars, motorhomes and vans left Lille, Strasbourg or Vimy (Pas-de-Calais) or Châteaubourg (Ille-et-Vilaine), heading for the capital.
DIRECT.
🔴 Convoy of freedom: the Valenciennes have arrived at Vimy https://t.co/ejPCpjpkx8 pic.twitter.com/KPNLf0vnJW
- The Voice of the North (@lavoixdunord) February 11, 2022
The police estimated in the afternoon their number at some 3,300 vehicles, including a thousand on the RN20 from Orleans and 500 on the A10-A11 motorway from Le Mans.
It is an action “
on a phenomenal scale
”, told AFP a coordinator of the movement.
Refuting any desire to block the capital, the participants hope to spend the night at its gates and then swell the ranks
of the processions against the vaccination pass organized each week on Saturday.
Maria, a member of the convoy, explains it at the microphone of
Marie Casadebaig
:
It has always been said that we would not go to Paris, to avoid the crystallization that we can see today
FRANCE _His Freedom Convoy en route to the Paris region - Maria
RFI
"
Obviously, the convoys are slowing down hard so as not to arrive before the evening-night, with target shopping center parking lots all around Paris
", analyzes a police source.
"
It's important not to disturb other users, to
keep the population on our side, like in Canada
", launched Robin, from a parking lot in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, in the suburbs of Strasbourg.
Some demonstrators then intend to reach Brussels for a “
European convergence
” scheduled for February 14.
The Belgian authorities have banned access to the capital.
On Friday, others also spread calls to occupy roundabouts in the regions on Saturday.
“
I appeal to join all the big cities to occupy them, multiply the gathering points
”, launched in a video posted on social networks one of the initiators of the movement, under the pseudonym of Rémi Monde.
A very organized convoy
The convoy is entirely steered by an organizing committee by the name of Convoy France, very clearly inspired by the model of the blocking action of Canadian truckers.
In one week, Convoy France set up a communication platform via Telegram messaging to organize by color code, local referents and more or less open discussion channels the six main routes departing from different cities in France.
►Also read:
Faced with the “freedom convoy”, the presidential candidates between support and wait-and-see
Each route has its own dedicated Telegram channel where real-time information is given on the needs, progress or positions of the convoys.
The most sensitive information, in particular on the attitude to adopt with the police, is given via an application, Zello, which serves as a radio or cibi for participants and to which only people with a secret code are supposed to have access. .
Minimum speed limits
The convoy is mostly made up of motorhomes, cars and bikers.
The instruction was given to take only secondary, departmental or national roads and to drive in line on the right line, with the warnings and respecting the minimum speed limits.
The participants honk their horns at regular intervals to signal each other and mark regular pauses to keep the convoy together.
On the side of the road, the security forces who supervise the convoy also sometimes indicate the way.
The participants, some of whom have left since Wednesday and intend to hold out until Monday, are supposed to travel in complete autonomy, therefore having water, food and something to sleep warm in their vehicles in the event of a night on a halt or a car park.
Some also sleep with individuals who have reported via online support groups.
Maria describes the solidarity actions that have taken place along the route to help the members of the convoy:
The first night in Avignon, it was people who came directly to the parking lot of the rallying point
Maria describes the forms of mobilization underway
RFI
The convoy is neither hungry nor thirsty: collections have been organized upstream and several supply vehicles follow each convoy, setting up distribution tables with food at each break.
Each convoy also has a mechanical and first aid referent, indicated by colored armbands and pennants.
To finance their trips, some participants initially benefited from an envelope of cash from “
pots
” to finance their refueling, up to 50 euros per vehicle, noted an AFP journalist.
With AFP
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Coronavirus