French ‘freedom convoys’ head towards Paris police checkpoints

France will deploy thousands of police in and around Paris on Friday and over the weekend and set up checkpoints at toll stations on major roads leading into the capital to keep "freedom convoy" motorists out, the city's police force said.

Despite an order not to enter Paris, motorists protesting against Covid-19 restrictions are converging on the French capital from cities across France, inspired by the horn-blaring demonstrations taking place in Canada.

The French "freedom convoy" protests, however, show signs of uniting a disparate group against the president, Emmanuel Macron, two months from April's presidential election, with remnants of the 2018-2019 anti-government gilets jaunes movement and some far-right politicians rallying behind the motorists.

"We've been going around in circles for three years. We saw the Canadians and said to ourselves: 'It's awesome, what they're doing.' In eight days, boom, something was sparked," said Jean-Marie Azais, heading to Paris from the south-west.

The motorists' protest follows waves of demonstrations over France's vaccine pass rules - which require people to show proof of inoculation against Covid to enter bars, restaurants, cinemas and other public spaces.

Whereas in Canada the protests have united truckers angered by a vaccine mandate for crossing borders, in France it is people angry over Covid restrictions who are taking to their vehicles.

In Toulouse, a convoy of vans, motorhomes and cars departed from a parking lot on Thursday, waved off by a crowd wearing the high-visibility vests that defined the gilets jaunes demonstrations.