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.
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.
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’re locked up explains a protester, at the microphone of our special correspondent Simon Roze. 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
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 to them. Emmanuel Macron called ” quiet “. 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’s the opposition that demonstrates, it’s one of the ways of trying to open people’s eyes to what’s really going on.. “A message that he intends to hammer again this Saturday, February 12 on the occasion of a new demonstration.
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.
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 on Saturday processions against the vaccination pass organized every week.
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
” Obviously, convoys are slowing down hard so as not to arrive before evening-night, with target shopping center car parks all around Paris », Analyzes a police source. ” It is 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.
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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 through 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
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 travels, 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