Paris police fire tear gas to disperse banned virus protest

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A demonstrator kicks in a tear gas grenade during a protest on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” . (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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Protestors hold placards reading “Freedom”, on the left, and “Freedom convoy”, on the right, as they attend a gathering, in Paris, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. Protesters angry over pandemic restrictions are driving toward Paris in scattered convoys of camper vans, cars and trucks to blockade the French capital despite a police ban. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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Police officers check a camper van on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” The police said that several convoys were stopped from entering at key city arteries and over 200 motorists were handed tickets -- amid a huge weekend mobilization of some 7,000 officers(AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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French flags ornate cars part of a convoy heading to Paris, Friday, Feb.11, 2022 in Strasbourg, eastern France. Authorities in France and Belgium have banned road blockades threatened by groups organizing online against COVID-19 restrictions. The events are in part inspired by protesters in Canada. Citing “risks of trouble to public order,” the Paris police department banned protests aimed at “blocking the capital” from Friday through Monday. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

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Protesters prepare to leave for a convoy in Lyon, central France, Friday, Feb.11, 2022. Authorities in France and Belgium have banned road blockades threatened by groups organizing online against COVID-19 restrictions. The events are in part inspired by protesters in Canada. Citing “risks of trouble to public order,” the Paris police department banned protests aimed at “blocking the capital” from Friday through Monday. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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A French flag is fixed on a car part of a “Freedom Convoy” in Lille, northern France, Friday, Feb.11, 2022. Authorities in France and Belgium have banned road blockades threatened by groups organizing online against COVID-19 restrictions. The events are in part inspired by protesters in Canada. Citing “risks of trouble to public order,” the Paris police department banned protests aimed at “blocking the capital” from Friday through Monday. Sticker reads: I support the Freedom Convoy. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

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A protester stands atop a vehicle as the convoy drives past the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” . (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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Police officers control a camper van owner on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” . (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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Bicycles pass police cars as some 20 trucs blocked one entrance to the government buildings, rear, in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, to protest against COVID-19 restrictions. The events are in part inspired by protesters in Canada. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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A protester stands atop a camper van as the convoy drives past the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” . (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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Protesters stand atop a van during p rotest on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” . (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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A man holds his dogs while police officer walks though tear gas during a protest on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” . (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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Tear gas grenades a fired during a protest on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” . (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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A demonstrator holding a French flag decorated with the Gaullist cross, drives up the Champs-Elysees avenue during a protest, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” . (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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People take pictures during a protest on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” . (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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Protesters part of a convoy drives past the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital in defiance of a police order to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by the Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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Police officers control camper vans on the Champs-Elysées avenue, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Protesters angry over pandemic restrictions are driving toward Paris to blockade the French capital despite a police ban. The protesters organized online, galvanized in part by truckers who have blockaded Canada’s capital. Paris region authorities deployed more than 7,000 police officers to tollbooths and other key sites to try to prevent a blockade. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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People pose in front of a police armored vehicle near at the Arc de Triomphe, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Protesters angry over pandemic restrictions are driving toward Paris to blockade the French capital despite a police ban. The protesters organized online, galvanized in part by truckers who have blockaded Canada’s capital. Paris region authorities deployed more than 7,000 police officers to tollbooths and other key sites to try to prevent a blockade. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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A police armored vehicle park at the Arc de Triomphe, Saturday, Feb.12, 2022 in Paris. Protesters angry over pandemic restrictions are driving toward Paris to blockade the French capital despite a police ban. The protesters organized online, galvanized in part by truckers who have blockaded Canada’s capital. Paris region authorities deployed more than 7,000 police officers to tollbooths and other key sites to try to prevent a blockade. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)

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Bicyclists pass some of the 20 trucks blocking one entrance to the government buildings in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, to protest against COVID-19 restrictions. The events are in part inspired by protesters in Canada. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Demonstrators talk as some 20 trucks blocked one entrance to the government buildings, rear, in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, to protest against COVID-19 restrictions. The events are in part inspired by protesters in Canada. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Some 20 trucs blocked one entrance to the government buildings in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, to protest against COVID-19 restrictions. The events are in part inspired by protesters in Canada. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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A woman dances next to a sign reading “2G NO” with a Dutch flag reading “Freedom for Our Children” as some 20 trucs blocked one entrance to the government buildings in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, to protest against COVID-19 restrictions. The events are in part inspired by protesters in Canada. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

By Thomas Adamson

PARIS (AP) — Paris police fired tear gas Saturday against a handful of demonstrators on the Champs-Elysees Avenue who defied a police order by taking part in a vehicle protest against virus restrictions inspired by Canada’s horn-honking truckers.

In the Netherlands, dozens of trucks and other vehicles — ranging from tractors to a car towing a camping van — arrived in The Hague for a similar virus-related protest Saturday, blocking an entrance to the historic Dutch parliamentary complex.

But a threatened blockade of Paris failed to materialize Saturday, despite days of online organizing efforts.

Police set up checkpoints into the French capital on key roads and said they successfully stopped at least 500 vehicles from heading to the banned protest, but a few dozen vehicles were able to slip in and disrupt traffic on the boutique-lined Champs-Elysees. Authorities fired tear gas as they demanded that the demonstrators disperse, some of whom climbed onto their vehicles in the middle of the road to create chaos.

An Associated Press photographer was hit in the head with a tear gas canister as police struggled to control the crowd. Police at the scene were growing increasingly tense, and fired the tear gas after several photographers took photos of officers kicking and subduing a protester.

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Police detained 54 people and handed out 300 tickets to motorists involved in the protest. Police also seized knives, hammers and other objects in a central Parisian square.

Protesters railing against the vaccination pass that France requires to enter restaurants and many other venues have converged in recent days toward Paris from the north, south, east and west, waving and honking at onlookers as they drove by. Some convoys sought to avoid police detection by traveling on local roads instead of the major highways leading into the capital.

Waving French flags and shouting “Freedom!,” the protesters were galvanized in part by truckers who have blockaded the center of Ottawa, Canada’s capital, and blocked border crossings to the U.S.

Most of the French convoys appeared small, and it is unclear how many people participated. The protest came as months of demonstrations against French government vaccination rules have been waning and as the government is relaxing virus restrictions. Nearly all French adults are vaccinated against COVID-19 and the protests have represented a small minority.

In the Dutch protest, protesters on foot joined the truckers, carrying a banner emblazoned with the Dutch words “Love & freedom, no dictatorship.” Police urged the protesters to move to a nearby park and warned the public about traffic problems.

Online chat groups, meanwhile, are encouraging French and Dutch protesters to join an attempted blockade convoy on Monday in Brussels, capital of Belgium and the 27-nation European Union.

Belgian federal police were urging people to avoid Brussels on Monday, including commuters, and said all vehicles coming to demonstrate will be escorted to a giant parking lot north of town where a protest will be authorized.

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Aleksandar Furtula in The Hague, Mike Corder in Ede, Netherlands, and Sylvain Plazy in Brussels contributed.

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Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.