PARIS 

Several hundred motorists as part of a "freedom convoy" in France departed Wednesday to reach Paris this weekend to protest the Emanuel Macron government’s policies, in particular the vaccine mandate.

Bikers, car owners, caravans, smaller tempos, buses and trucks from Nice, Avignon, Perpignan, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Annecy, Bayonne and other cities, set off for Paris in response to a social media campaign that was inspired by a protest by truck drivers in Canada.

Vehicles sporting slogans like: “I support the freedom convoy", “Piss off Macron”, “Freedom Convoy France”, “All together to support” and French flags had their photos and videos posted on the Facebook page of Convoy France Officiel and Le Convoy Liberte (Freedom convoy) which has 311,000 members as of Wednesday.

The freedom convoy is part of a larger European campaign that aims to rally protestors in Brussels on Feb. 14.

Similar convoys are taking off from Belgium, Holland, Germany, Italy and Hungary to oppose a European vaccine mandate.

The current mobilization against recent measures that have led to a rise in inflation, soaring electricity tariffs, hikes in diesel and gas prices as well as a vaccination pass imposed since January, has invoked widespread social resentment against the Macron government which was on display during the Gillet Jaunes or yellow vest protests.

Anger at vaccine mandate

The goals of the protests include a “permanent end of (vaccine) pass, freedom of movement, the right to decide for our health and access to care for all,” according to the Facebook page of Convoy France Officiel.

While truck drivers in the Canadian protest are opposed to a vaccine requirement that prohibits entry to the US to unvaccinated drivers, the rules in France do not restrict unvaccinated drivers from cross-border European travel.

The vaccine and health pass measures restricting entry to unvaccinated people to public places have become a highly contentious issue in France.

The initiatives, including compulsory vaccines for health care workers launched last year at the peak of the coronavirus epidemic, resulted in severe backlash against the government.

They were further fueled with Macron’s remarks earlier this year that he wants to “piss off” the unvaccinated by introducing the vaccine pass.

Opponents say the restrictions undermine the fundamental rights of Europeans, including the freedom of choice and movement.

The freedom convoy could become a major political headache ahead of the presidential elections in April for Macron, who is likely to seek reelection.

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal at a weekly news conference said Wednesday that the convoy was part of "political, often radical movements which have sought to capitalize on this weariness and fatigue."

He added that he understood the "fatigue" of the French who are fed up with the epidemic and assured that the restrictions of the vaccine pass could be lifted by April.