World

Brussels, Paris ban virus 'freedom convoy'

By AAP Newswire

Feb 11, 2022

Man puts a "Liberty Convoy" poster on a lorry in Paris — Belgian and French authorities have banned a truckers' demonstration against COVID-19 restrictions. -AP

Brussels authorities have banned a pan-European "freedom convoy" of motorists protesting COVID-19 restrictions from entering the Belgian capital, the regional government says.

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The convoy was expected to arrive at the home of European Union institutions and NATO on Monday.

Police in Paris earlier on Thursday banned a truckers' demonstration, for which convoys have already set off in some French cities.

French police said they could take tough measures if people ignored the ban.

Personnel would be mobilised to prevent street blockades and any transgressors will face heavy fines, their vehicle towed and an entry made in their file, officers said.

Protesters set out from southern France on Wednesday in what they called a "Convoi de la Liberté" or "freedom convoy" that will converge on Paris and Brussels to demand an end to COVID-19 restrictions, inspired by demonstrators who have gridlocked the Canadian capital Ottawa.

"The Federal Police will control motorised vehicles on the main roads to Brussels that come to demonstrate in Belgium. The region and the city of Brussels will issue decrees banning demonstrations with trucks on their territory," a statement from the Brussels region said, adding they had not received yet any request to protest.

In Canada, horn-blaring demonstrations demanding an end to Canadian COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border truck drivers have gridlocked capital Ottawa for weeks and have now spilled over to key Canada-United States border crossings.

with reporting from DPA