Last minute… The French police intervened in the convoy of hundreds of vehicles created to protest the coronavirus restrictions in France. Departing from Paris, the convoy started to head towards Brussels, the capital of Belgium.
PARTICIPATION FROM 3 COUNTRIES
Participation in the convoy consisting of 450 vehicles from Paris and its surroundings is also expected from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
A state of emergency has been declared
Belgian police banned vehicle protests. A state of emergency was declared in Brussels on Sunday evening and Monday due to the action.
Inspired by the action of truckers in Canada and using the name “Freedom Convoy”, the demonstration organized by the convoy in Paris on Saturday was dispersed with the intervention of the police.
INTERVENTION IN HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES CONVO TO PARIS
Around 7,000 police officers, deployed by the French authorities, intervened in the attempt of hundreds of vehicles to blockade the city. While some vehicle owners who resisted the police were detained, many drivers were fined.
Hundreds of demonstrators set out for Brussels at noon on Sunday for the vehicle protest led by the extreme rightists and the “Yellow Vests” movement.
PEOPLE IN THE YELLOW VESTS TELL: WHY DID THEY TAKE ON THE STREETS?
Demonstrators are protesting the mandatory requirement to show Covid-19 certification in public enclosed spaces, high energy prices and a decline in purchasing power.
PARTICIPATION IN THE CONVO IS INCREASING
In the early hours of the morning, 450 vehicles joined the convoy, which was planned to reach Lille, France, and Brussels in the evening. The convoy, which departs from the suburbs of Paris and the Bois de Boulange in the west of the city, is gradually increasing.
Protesters in Belgium will meet the convoy, which will also include vehicles from Germany and the Netherlands. There are calls on social media for drivers in cities such as Mons and Arlon in Belgium to join the convoy.
According to public broadcaster VRT, the convoy consists mostly of cars, campers and motorcycles, not trucks as in Canada.
BANNED SHOW WITH VEHICLES
Due to the protest, both the Belgian federal police and the Brussels police took intense security measures. The police banned the vehicle demonstration, which was announced to be held on Monday, February 14, in the capital and its environs.
The ban will remain in effect until 08:00 on Tuesday, February 15. It is stated that the ban will be extended if the protests continue.
Ghent Municipality has also banned motor vehicle convoys until Sunday, February 20.
A CASE WILL BE FILED UP TO 10 YEARS OF PRISON
Those who insist on performing will be directed to Heysel Stadium C parking lot. Drivers who violate the ban on demonstrations will be fined for “deliberately obstructing traffic” and will be prosecuted for up to 10 years in prison.
The Brussels administration called on Belgians not to come to Brussels and its surroundings by vehicles unless it is necessary, especially due to the traffic jam that may occur on Monday. (BBC)