Demonstrators wave French flags and yellow vests on the Champs Elysees in Paris on Feb. 12. Photo: Mehdi Taamallah/NurPhoto via Getty Images
French police fired tear gas and fined several hundred demonstrators in Paris on Saturday to quell a vehicle protest against COVID-19 restrictions, AP reports.
Driving the news: The police stopped at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter Paris, despite a ban on such protests, but a few dozen vehicles were still able to avert the authorities, per AP.
- As part of the self-declared "freedom convoys" — inspired by the blockade in Canada — protesters tried to weave through Paris in various directions, waving and honking.
- The demonstrators were protesting the vaccine pass that France requires for people to enter restaurants and many other venues.
The big picture: The protests in Paris come after a group of demonstrators blocked roads and portions of the busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing for days, cutting off key delivery routes and leading factories to shut down.
- Demonstrators in dozens of trucks and other vehicles also protested COVID-19 restrictions in the Netherlands on Saturday, per AP.
Go deeper: Blockade at Canada border begins to clear after police enforcement