Paris bans ‘freedom convoy’ from entering city

Paris police have banned “freedom convoys” from entering the city this weekend as hundreds of vehicles set out from across France to block the capital.

The ban came amid concern in President Macron’s administration that the movement inspired by Canada’s Freedom Drive could turn into a repeat of the yellow-vest protests which resulted in weeks of riots in 2018 and 2019.

Convoys, mainly of cars rather than lorries as in Canada, have been leaving provincial French towns and cities for the past couple of days, sometimes in big numbers.