CONVOY OF FREEDOM. After having immobilized Ottawa, can the Freedom Convoy movement be exported to France and blockade Paris? This is what the truckers hoping for, relaying the calls for mobilization on Facebook this weekend of February 12 and 13.
Can the large-scale Canadian movement of the “Freedom Convoy” inspire French truckers? In recent days, France has seen the idea of exporting the Canadian anti-sanitary measures mobilization flourish: from Facebook groups to Twitter accounts, via conversations on the encrypted messaging application Telegram, the objective of ” drive on Paris” and immobilize the capital can it be reached by truckers from across the Atlantic? The coming weekend of February 12 and 13 is effectively targeted by the organizers of the French version of the Freedom Convoy to reproduce the immobilization that Ottawa has been experiencing for several days. How will this convoy of truckers be organized? How big will it be?
As a reminder, the Canadian movement “Freedom Convoy” was born from the contestation of the vaccination obligation for truckers in the country. After crossing the provinces of the country, dozens of trucks reached the Canadian capital, where they immobilized the main roads.
What movement in France?
The French edition of the event is supposed to take place this weekend of February 12-13 in Paris. At the origin of the call for immobilization? Health and vaccination anti-pass, antivax and, overall, personalities opposed to the policy pursued by the executive. These organizers specify, on the various Facebook groups relaying the movement, not to endorse “any form of violence whatsoever in the Freedom Convoy, in order to respect the joyful spirit of the convoy”. The mode of organization, via social networks, is reminiscent of that of the Yellow Vests in 2018/2019 – as a reminder, the organizers of the demonstrations on the roundabouts used social networks extensively to mobilize protesters. Especially since, on these pages, the social demands already raised during the Yellow Vests movement are repeated, with in particular a challenge to the rise in fuel prices and, more generally, to “the increase in the price of life”, reports News Paris. According to the organisers, the Freedom Convoy aims, in France, for citizens to “recover[ent] their freedom, their fundamental rights, unconditional access to care, education and culture, respect for the essential values of our constitution” and say “stop the sacrifice of children and youth, let’s stop the mistreatment suffered daily “. In detail, the calendar, detailed on the Telegram conversation of the Freedom Convoy and relayed by News Parisis the next :
- Wednesday February 9: departures from the south-east and south-west regions of France
- Thursday February 10: departures from the west of France
- Friday February 11: departures from the North and North-East, gathering in Paris
- Saturday February 12: blockages in Paris
- Sunday February 13: departure from Paris to join the call for a European blockade in Brussels on Monday February 14
However, it is unlikely that the mobilization will have the same scope as in Canada, underlines the Huffington Post, if only because French truckers are only very little, if at all, concerned by the vaccination obligation – where their counterparts across the Atlantic are. In addition, detail France info, the trucking unions indicated that they would not participate in the convoy. Finally, Christophe Denizot, secretary general of the Fédération Sud-Solidaires des transportsroutes, who dissociates himself from this movement, notes to the World that “unlike in Canada, we do not own our truck, if we participate in this convoy, we can see our license withdrawn and be fired for obstructing freedom of movement”.
Although the mobilization promises to be less, the initiative is taken very seriously by the authorities. With Agence France-Presse (AFP), a police source thus assured that would be put in place, in anticipation of the mobilization, “vigilance devices”. “The assessment of the potential threat is still the subject of analysis by the intelligence services, given the electoral context and the desire to play mimicry with the Canadian movement,” adds the same source. Finally, if certain political figures, such as the far-right candidate for the 2022 presidential election Florian Philippot or the support of Eric Zemmour Jean-Frédéric Poisson, supported the movement, the French branch of the Freedom Convoy claims apolitical. The organizers also denounce the political recovery of which they are victims.
Map of the route of the Freedom Convoy in France
On the Facebook pages and Twitter accounts flourish the maps ensuring trace the routes that will take the trucks that will participate in the Freedom Convoy. Here is one:
The Freedom Convoy in Canada
The “Freedom Convoy” was born in Canada following the implementation of the vaccination obligation for truckers. First, therefore, contesting this imposed vaccination, the movement then extends to the demand for the lifting of all health restrictions. Some demonstrators also demand the resignation of Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of the country. In concrete terms, dozens of convoys of trucks, taking multiple routes through all the Canadian provinces, reach Parliament Hill in Ottawa on January 29 to lay siege to Parliament. The truckers being joined there by hundreds of demonstrators, the city center is quickly paralyzed. The capitals of Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario are also invaded by convoys of trucks. Among the truck drivers, some displayed Confederate, Nazi or “Trump 2024” flags.
And in Ottawa?
This Sunday, February 6, the mayor of Ottawa Jim Watson declared a state of emergency in the face of the paralysis of his city. The city councilor notably indicated that “thousands of demonstrators against hundreds of police officers are not enough, we must ensure that order returns to our city”, adding that additional law enforcement personnel would be deployed. At the same time, this same February 6 marked the second day of demonstrations in support of truckers in Toronto, Vancouver and even Quebec. For the moment, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, still excludes any intervention by the army.
The importance of Facebook in organizing the movement
The French Facebook group “Convoi de la liberté” already brings together 254,000 people (its Telegram equivalent, 13,000), while the page “On bloc tout le convoy” has already brought together 9,000 people on Mark Zuckerberg’s network and 15,000 on Telegram. “Convoy France” brings together 23,000 supporters. The profiles observable on these pages are particularly heterogeneous, apart from truck drivers, “rebellious” RN activists, including yellow vests, restaurateurs, Anonymous, “confidence coaches” or even specialists in “vibration ” – “opposed to anti-Covid-19 vaccines and promoters of alternative treatments against the epidemic (hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, etc.), notes The world.
On the pages, many are those who promise to provide accommodation, blankets, drinks and food in order to gather as many demonstrators as possible in Paris. Others use social networks to offer (or request) carpooling in order to participate in the convoy. There is also a certain distrust of the media on these pages. In addition, one notices, since the profusion of these groups, that more and more motorists now approach the mention “I support the freedom convoy” on an A4 sheet or a sticker on the dashboard of their vehicle.
What about the movement in Brussels?
Initiatives echoing the Canadian movement are multiplying around the world, particularly in the Netherlands (Leeuwarden), Germany (Schwerin) and Australia (Canberra). In Brussels, it is expected that a convoy of trucks, which must pass through Paris, will also break on February 14.