Paris police announced on Wednesday that they will be out in full force to prevent members of the "Convoi de la Liberté" protest from entering the city.
The protest, which is slated to take place on Friday, is said to have been inspired by the ongoing anti-restriction demonstrations in Canada, namely in Ottawa, where hundreds of trucks remain parked.
According to the BBC, the protest has largely been organized online, and includes groups from across the political spectrum united in ending France's COVID-19 restrictions. Some have already left their cities, en route for the capital.
Many have compared the Convoi de la Liberté to the Gilets Jaune. During the height of the Yellow Vest protests in 2018, people from across the country convened in Paris for weeks on end to voice their displeasure with a fuel tax that disproportionately impacted rural citizens. Even after the tax was repealed, however, protests continued, focusing instead on the government itself.
Convois de véhicules à Paris : le préfet de Police prend un arrêté d'interdiction.
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) February 10, 2022
Consultez notre communiqué de presse ? pic.twitter.com/8Jq1r2SIYj
Police in Paris reminded potential Convoi de la Liberté protestors that disturbances to public order will not be tolerated, and failure to comply will be met with harsh consequences. The penalty for "interfering with the roads," for example, is a two year prison sentence, or a €4,500 fine.
Drivers who block the free flow of traffic also run the risk of having their licenses suspended.
#Manifestation ? | Dispositif déployé dans la capitale dès le vendredi 11.02.22 afin de faire respecter l'interdiction de manifester aux personnes s'inscrivant dans les "convois de la liberté".
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) February 10, 2022
Consultez notre communiqué de presse ? pic.twitter.com/NejpotDtV4
Police also noted that organizers of a prohibited event could face up to six months in prison and a €7,500 fine. Participants run the risk of being guilty of a "fourth class" violation.
Avec @AnneliesVl et @rudivervoort, nous avons pris la décision d'interdire le "Convoi de la liberté" qui n’a pas fait l’objet d’une autorisation de manifester car aucune demande n’a été envoyée.
— Philippe Close (@PhilippeClose) February 10, 2022
Des moyens sont mis en place pour empêcher le blocage de la Région Bruxelles-Capitale
Further north in Belgium, Brussels' mayor Philippe Close announced that his city would also be banning the "unauthorized" protests.
Members of the Convoi de la Liberté have shown no signs of backing down, despite warnings from the police and elected officials, thus it remains to be seen whether the thousands of supposed attendees will follow through on their plan to disrupt the nation's capital as protestors have done in Canada.
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