Protestors from around France are on their way to Paris. Inspired by events in Canada, the Freedom Convoy is taking to the roads to protest against vaccine laws.

Authorities in the French capital have made it clear they are not welcome. Checkpoints are being put in place on the roads into the city to try and stop them.

The scale of the protest is hard to judge, with vehicles arriving from all directions. But the police aren't taking any chances. It is estimated that 7,200 officers are being deployed over the weekend with heavy lifting equipment at their disposal, to be able to remove vehicles or roadblocks.

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They have also been issuing stark warnings to those taking part, reminding them of the laws against blocking public roads: a maximum of up to two years in prison and a fine of up to 4,500 Euro ($5,130 USD).

The plan is to continue on to the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels to cause disruption on Monday, but again, they are not welcome. Belgian authorities will be keeping a close eye on what happens in Paris over the weekend. 

The protestors are opposed to strict vaccination rules, which differ by country, but many include needing to show a pass to be able to get into places like restaurants or cinemas. The protestors say it's all about public choice and freedom.

But it has attracted fringe elements as well. Lots of online messages have been about false vaccine conspiracy theories. Some say that is undermining the original point the protest is trying to make.