Online chat groups in France have been calling for drivers to converge on Paris starting Friday night, and to continue north to Brussels on Monday. There have been calls to action in Belgium for truckers to converge on the capital, which houses European Union institutions.

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Canada cracks down on anti-vax trucker protests, seize fuel and ban honking

Canada cracks down on anti-vax trucker protests, seize fuel and ban honking

Authorities in Belgium banned Monday’s threatened blockade, and said a wide perimeter around the city of 1.1 million would be set up to keep an excess of trucks out of the centre of Brussels.

Brussels Mayor Philippe Close said in a Twitter message that officials decided to ban the protest because organisers failed to seek permission to hold the event.

Austrian police on Thursday announced a ban on any “Freedom Convoy” action, saying they feared the protesters intended to block the city’s main traffic arteries. Several hundred vehicles are set to converge on Friday in central Vienna, as well as near a major public park in the Austrian capital.

Police also said in a tweet that the protesters would cause an “unacceptable nuisance in terms of noise in a popular recreation area”, as well as pollution from fuel emissions.

The protests would mirror those of truckers in Canada who have blockaded border crossings and paralysed downtown Ottawa.

In France, small groups of drivers set out Wednesday from Bayonne on the Atlantic coast and Nice on the French Riviera, with stickers on their cars reading “Freedom Convoy”.

Departures were also reported or planned in about a dozen other cities, with groups calling for them to converge on Paris on Friday evening and to protest there on Saturday.

Those looking to take part in the convoy appear to represent a mix of causes, and vehicles, from trucks to motorcycles and camper vans.

FranceBleu radio in the southern Vaucluse region quoted the head of a transport company as saying he and three employees would rally to Paris in separate vehicles. “It’s truly a peaceful convoy,” FranceBleu quoted the man, identified only as Sylvain, as saying.

“The idea is to make ourselves seen, heard. We have to end this health pass,” he was quoted as saying, referring to a Covid-19 pass France requires to get into restaurants and other public venues, and noting that the country has a presidential election in two months.

While the vast majority of French adults are vaccinated against Covid-19, France has seen weekly protests against vaccine rules and virus-related restrictions for several months, notably by far-right groups. The convoy attempt comes as participation in the protests has waned recently.

French hospitals and older adults have been hit hard by repeated infection surges during the pandemic. Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Thursday that was too early for people to let down their guard, warning the pandemic is not over yet.

The French convoys do not appear to have a single organiser or rallying cry. Some of the online groups include people who were active in the yellow vest protest movement against perceived economic injustice, which largely fizzled in 2019 after the government responded to some of the participants’ concerns.

The French protesters have been sharing images of truckers in Canada who have blockaded border crossings and paralysed downtown Ottawa. They want an end to Canada’s Covid-19 restrictions, including a rule for all truckers entering the country to be fully vaccinated.

Some are also calling for gatherings elsewhere in Europe, but it is not clear whether the different actions in different countries are coordinated.

A couple of Telegram groups in Spain are calling for gatherings and trying to organise logistics and food donations.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse