There have been a lot of protesters against vaccine mandates around the world, but the truckers and protesters of the Freedom Convoy in Canada have reenergized the effort around the world. The Freedom Convoy at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, voted to remain, after a court injunction came down yesterday saying they had to leave.
We’re watching what’s happening as the police continue to creep in slowly on the protesters at the Ambassador Bridge. The police in Windsor have made a mistake by waiting and not cutting off more people from coming in.
Initially, when they started moving on them earlier, it was only a few dozen. So now, they’re going to have to deal with more people. But so far, while they keep pushing the protesters back and closing the area, they haven’t made arrests.
It’s not clear whether Windsor police have a strategy to make the crowd disperse but more and more protesters are arriving. Earlier, officers outnumbered protesters but that does not appear to be the case anymore. pic.twitter.com/fDfJj5m6QW
— Thomas Daigle (@thomasdaigle) February 12, 2022
The CBC’s Katerina Georgieva said she asked the Deputy Chief of Police how long this will take. His response was he didn’t know, that officers are continuing to try and negotiate with demonstrators — essentially, hoping for a peaceful resolution.
The latest estimate, at the time of this writing, was 2,000 people.
Windsor, Ambassador bridge 1:45 pm Saturday. A festive crowd of about 2,000 and more keep coming. Hundreds of police pic.twitter.com/RZLXWbuJTV
— Chris Vander Doelen (@winstarvander) February 12, 2022
The folks in Ottawa are still holding firm, and they too have far more people now on Saturday.
Canadian veterans sing O Canada on the War Memorial. #TruckersForFreedom #TruckersConvoy #FreedomConvoyCanada2022 pic.twitter.com/hNwJlFlvp6
— 🇨🇦Checkpoint News – #HonkHonk🎤 (@check_pointnews) February 12, 2022
People are also out in force around the world against the mandates.
Here’s the massive showing on Friday in Canberra, Australia.
Holy cow! Look at the massive freedom convoy marchers in Australia!
— Election Wizard 🚛 (@ElectionWiz) February 12, 2022
MASSIVE: A bird's eye view of the convoy heading to Parliament House right now in Canberra.#ConvoyToCanberra #CanberraConvoy #ConvoyForFreedom2022
— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) February 12, 2022
A huge crowd was also out in Paris on Saturday.
HAPPENING: An enormous protest against COVID mandates is underway in Paris
— Election Wizard 🚛 (@ElectionWiz) February 12, 2022
Hundreds of thousands of protesters from all over France are converging on Paris today to put an end to Macron's COVID regime.pic.twitter.com/4Wscm8hugR
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 12, 2022
Ça déborde de monde et ça continue d’arriver à Paris ! C’est magnifique, c’est extraordinaire ! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷#convoisdelaliberte #Manifs12Fevrier pic.twitter.com/fmP7gHbfFw
— Florian Philippot (@f_philippot) February 12, 2022
They had a brief blockage on the Champs-Élysées, the famous avenue in the French capital that runs between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is located.
Blocage sur les #ChampsElysees du #ConvoidelaLiberte. pic.twitter.com/l5IrhN7qDS
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) February 12, 2022
But unlike Canada, the police are completely out of control in Paris. They stopped 500 people from driving into the center of the city, and then were assailing people who were trying to get in.
Please watch and share what Macron’s thugs are doing to French citizens today in Paris. Casually breaking the window of the car because the driver refuses to move on.
It’s a FREEDOM Convoy, they’re not TERRORISTS FFS! pic.twitter.com/H0nUauekbX— Nat (Honorary🇨🇦trucker) (@Arwenstar) February 12, 2022
They are now tear-gassing people, kicking them, and beating them.
PARIS – Interpellation sur les #ChampsElysees : tensions toujours en cours. #ConvoidelaLiberte @CLPRESSFR pic.twitter.com/Moh5QZhyYl
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) February 12, 2022
They were tear-gassing the cafes that people were eating in, hitting the presumably vaccinated people as well, and not caring about whether they were hitting any children in the process with the tear gas.
Les capsules de gaz lacrymogènes atterrissent à l’intérieur d’un café. #ChampsElysees #convoisdelaliberte pic.twitter.com/4oqujumrE7
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) February 12, 2022
Des gaz lacrymogènes atterrissent vers une terrasse de café. Des familles avec enfants touchées et évacuées #convoipourlaliberte #ChampsElysees pic.twitter.com/zlzK7uiqPD
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) February 12, 2022
In response to the Freedom Convoy, French police fire tear gas at outdoor restaurants where families were out having tea. Children are affected by the teargas. pic.twitter.com/4VBsL94W8T
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 12, 2022
In Paris, France, police are tackling and arresting demonstrators at full speed while deploying tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Does this look like a government that serves the people? pic.twitter.com/LWNw7mzJ4M
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 12, 2022
In Paris, police continue to deploy tear gas while families and children are present.
The government is exposing themselves as tyrants, and the more they use such measures on peaceful people who want their voices heard, the more dissent will grow.pic.twitter.com/UF2dpVjhxh
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 12, 2022
The French deployed over 7,000 officers throughout the city, as well as armored personnel carriers and water cannon trucks. Not exactly a peaceful reaction to a peaceful protest.
Editor’s note: this article was edited for content after publication.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member