Brussels braced for ‘Freedom Convoy’-inspired protests. Very few showed up.

However, online calls for copycat convoys in European cities have for the most part fizzled in real life — in part because of warnings from authorities and, perhaps, because a host of countries are already beginning to ease or lift coronavirus-related restrictions.

Sweden, Denmark and Norway have moved to end most pandemic-related curbs, and England will lift rules early. The Czech Republic announced last week that it would cancel a requirement to provide a vaccination or recovery certificate to use public services or attend events.

Europe’s largest economy, Germany, will this week discuss plans to start rolling back its measures, a three-phase process that reportedly would include a return of gatherings involving more than 10 people, the reopening of nightclubs, and access to restaurants for unvaccinated people with a negative test by March 20, according to AFP news service.

Even with public health restrictions easing in some places, the ongoing use of vaccine passes in the European Union remains a source of anger within many ‘convoy’ and ‘anti-lockdown’ groups.

The rules for accessing vaccine passes have gotten stricter in both Italy and France. In France, for instance, the allowed period between an initial course of vaccination and a booster will move from seven to four months and a positive test, which counts as proof of recovery, will be valid for four months, not six.

So far, convoy protesters in France have been the most disruptive. Several groups converged on Paris over the weekend, temporarily disrupting traffic along parts of the Champs-Élysées despite the deployment of more than 7,000 police officers. Police, who had warned of fines and arrests, used tear gas to disperse crowds.

Stern warnings from national and local authorities in Belgium appear to have dissuaded convoys from entering the heart of Brussels with vehicles or large banners — at least for now.

Brussels Mayor Philippe Close told public broadcaster RTBF on Monday that protesters have not formally requested permission to demonstrate in the city. Those hoping to rally in Brussels can do so in parking lots, he said, but cannot “take the capital hostage.”

On Monday, the part of the European Quarter where groups hoped to protest showed little disruption except for additional fencing and the presence of police checking identification.

Small groups of people milled about near the European Parliament without signs or banners in an apparent attempt to protest without violating the city’s rules. Several protesters declined to speak to reporters. One man said he was there “for freedom” but declined to give his name, citing fear of arrest. A few said they were there to protest vaccine passes.

In the Telegram social media channels where members of the would-be convoys were coordinating, people shared information about vehicles getting diverted to a parking lot outside the city center and urged demonstrators to proceed to the European Quarter on foot.

The police presence in Brussels and Paris underscored nervousness in Western capitals about the ability of relatively small groups of protesters to cause major disruptions by attempting to occupy parts of cities with vehicles.

Calls for a European response to the standoff in Canada started in late January. On Facebook, Telegram and other social media networks, those opposed to digital vaccine passes and other public health measures have urged people to block roads in protest.

The groups quickly attracted tens of thousands and split off into national-level subgroups for planning. Some are calling for the end of pandemic-related restrictions, while others demand the resignation of national governments.

This type of protest is not new. In 2018, social inequality and anger over a proposed fuel tax in France helped launch the yellow vest movement, an anti-establishment uprising that spawned months of demonstrations in cities and towns. The movement was also exported to such places as Canada.

In the past two years, some yellow vest groups have joined the anti-lockdown movement, a catchall that has come to include vaccine skeptics, those who oppose pandemic health measures and, in some cases, groups on the far right.

In recent months, large protests over lockdowns have been held in European cities, with large protests in France, Germany, Austria and Italy in particular. On Jan. 23, tens of thousands gathered in Brussels alone.

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