Freedom Convoy 2022

Action 4 Canada Action 4 Canada (associated with the Canada Unity group inside the Freedom Convoy) is an Islamophobic, anti-LGBTQ conspiracy group with webpages about the dangers of political Islam, health consequences of 5G technology, and underreporting of adverse vaccine reactions. Action 4 Canada was founded by Tanya Gaw, who actively supported the Yellow Vests protests of 2019 [Yellow Vests Protests in Canada]. [source]
Key Points
Name	Freedom Convoy 2022
Date	2022-01-22 to present  [2022-02-01]
Location	Canada
Caused by	COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
Goals	Opposition to mandates for vaccines Opposition to Justin Trudeau
Methods	Convoy protest over major Canadian highways Demonstration at Parliament Hill
Leaders	James Bauder (organizer) Tamara Lich (convoy fundraiser) Benjamin Dichter (convoy spokesperson)

Background

Freedom Convoy 2022 (French: Convoi de la Liberté) is an ongoing [2022-01-31] protest conducted by truck drivers in Canada against COVID-19 vaccine requirements to re-enter the country by land introduced by the Government of Canada on 2022-01-15. Composed of several routes traversing all of the Canadian provinces, the truck convoys converged on Ottawa on 2022-01-29, with a rally at Parliament Hill. The anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate protest has continued into 2021-01-{30-31} [today's date: 2022-01-31].

Fundraising was organized by Tamara Lich, the secretary of the Maverick Party, a Western Canadian separatist party. Some protestors have also expressed opposition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Prior to 2022-01-15, truck drivers and other essential workers had been exempt from the two-week quarantine for unvaccinated travellers crossing Canada's borders. The exemption's abolition has been criticized by some politicians and truckers for having the potential to exacerbate the supply chain disruptions already experienced in Canada. The United States also has a vaccine requirement for non-U.S. individuals which began on 2022-01-22. The Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates that 85% of the 120,000 Canadian truck drivers are already vaccinated against COVID-19, and that the COVID-19 vaccination mandates would impact 26,000 of the 160,000 drivers in both countries who regularly cross the border.

The protest convoy has been condemned by trucking industry groups while truckers behind the protest have been denounced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a "fringe minority" with "unacceptable views". The movement is supported by several Conservative Party of Canada politicians. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce supports vaccination but has called for extending the deadline for enacting the vaccine mandate, while the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition expressed support for lifting the mandate immediately.

Illegal acts committed by protesters drew widespread condemnation and prompted police to launch criminal investigations. A statue of national hero Terry Fox, the National War Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were desecrated during the rally, prompting statements from the Royal Canadian Legion, the Terry Fox Foundation, defence minister Anita Anand and others.

Goals

The protest calls for the end of vaccine mandates in Canada during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Freedom Convoy's spokesperson Ben Dichter stated on Fox News that "We want to get rid of the vaccine mandates and the (vaccine) passports. And that passport, that's the really concerning one".

On 2021-11-19 the Public Health Agency of Canada announced upcoming adjustments to Canada's border measures. Included in the announced adjustments was the requirement for essential service providers, including truck drivers, to be fully vaccinated after 2022-01-15. When asked in the House of Commons to produce data linking truckers to COVID-19 infections in Canada, neither the Minister of Health   Jean-Yves Duclos nor the chief public health officer    Theresa Tam were able to do so. As well, the announced adjustments clarified that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign national truck drivers would be prohibited from entering Canada after that date. The United States Department of Homeland Security previously announced on 2021-10-29, that proof of vaccination would be required to enter the United States starting in 2022-01. On 2022-01-22, like Canada, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security implemented proof of vaccination requirements for all non-U.S. individuals entering the United States by land and ferry.

One of the groups associated with the protest, Canada Unity, put out a memo on 2022-01-25 calling all levels of government cease all vaccine mandates, reemploy all employees terminated due to vaccination status and rescind all fines imposed for non-compliance with public health orders.

As the convoy reached Ontario, it began to expand from its original goals. Several protesters voiced opposition to perceived authoritarianism and corruption by Justin Trudeau, stating they wanted him "out of office", while others said: "This is not an anti-vaccination movement, this is a freedom movement". Jason LaFace, Canada Unity's Ontario organizer for the convoy, has stated that the intent of the protest is to dissolve the Canadian government. They plan to present the memo to Governor General   Mary Simon and the Senate of Canada.  First Nations members were also seen among the protesters, carrying "every child matters" flags, which are used to express anger at the coverup of deaths in residential schools [Canadian Indian residential school gravesites].

Protest Timeline

Convoy Movements

The first convoy departed Prince Rupert, British Columbia on 2022-01-22, arriving in Prince George, British Columbia in the evening. The following day, another convoy left from Delta, British Columbia with supporters gathering along British Columbia Highway 1, the British Columbia portion of the Trans-Canada Highway.

On 2022-01-24 a convoy drove through Regina, Saskatchewan and was greeted by supporters. According to police in Regina  [Regina Police Service], about 1,200 vehicles reached the city. On 2022-01-25 another convoy passed through Kenora, Ontario, where Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in contact with the convoy stated that 200-300 vehicles would be passing through Kenora. The convoys consist of three main routes across Canada, which will converge for the Ottawa protest on the weekend. The Ottawa Police Service estimated that there were up to 2,000 demonstrators in the city on the weekend.

As of 2022-01-26 the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) estimated approximately 400 vehicles had entered Ontario from the Manitoba border as part of the eastbound convoy. The Kingston Police estimated approximately 300 vehicles (17 full tractor-trailers, 104 tractors without trailers, 424 passenger vehicles and six recreational vehicles) passed through Kingston.

On 2022-01-27 winter weather closed a portion of Highway 17, (the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway) in northern Ontario, causing the eastbound convoy to be divided. Some of the truckers continued on to Sault Ste. Marie, while others diverted to Highway 11 (a northern branch of the Trans-Canada Highway) and drove towards Cochrane, Ontario.

Truckers from the Maritime provinces planned to meet in Moncton, New Brunswick before departing for Ottawa. On the morning of 2022-01-27 supporters gathered in Enfield, Nova Scotia where fireworks were set off as 10 to 15 trucks departed for the New Brunswick border. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Prince Edward Island reported that approximately 70 trucks and supporters' vehicles crossed the Confederation Bridge into New Brunswick, but that most immediately turned around and returned to the island. About 24 trucks reportedly passed through Fredericton, New Brunswick in the afternoon, bound for Ottawa. On 2022-01-27 one convoy group passed through the Greater Toronto Area. Hundreds of protesters gathered at highway overpasses in support of the convoy.

On 2022-01-27 Patrick McDonell,  Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons, sent a letter warning of possible doxing attempts to discover the addresses of Members of Parliament in the Capital Region. The letter further warned Members of Parliament (MPs) not to get involved in any demonstrations, to "go somewhere safe", and to keep all doors locked. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) tweeted "OPP advises motorists to avoid travel on Ontario Highway 417 (the Trans Canada Highway in eastern Ontario) and Ontario Highway 416 in the Ottawa area, beginning Friday afternoon [2022-01-28] and on Saturday [2022-01-29]."

On 2022-01-28 a convoy was seen passing through Quebec. About 600 convoy vehicles are expected to stay the night in Arnprior before heading to Parliament Hill the following morning [2022-01-29].

Members of the protest use Zello chat to communicate.

Provincial Response

On 2022-01-28 the province of Nova Scotia banned gatherings along highways, specifically on the Trans-Canada Highway ( Nova Scotia Highway 104) between the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick border, in relation to protests related to the Freedom Convoy.

Ottawa

On 2022-01-28 as the first trucks began to arrive in Ottawa, Ontario, the Ottawa Police Service disclosed that it had called in reinforcements from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and were working to identify threats in the convoy. Police Chief Peter Sloly advised people to avoid downtown Ottawa during the weekend protest, adding that "we are prepared to investigate, arrest if necessary, charge and prosecute anyone who acts violently or breaks the law in the demonstrations, or in association with the demonstrations".

On 2022-01-29 - the first day of protest at Parliament Hill - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was moved to an undisclosed location due to security concerns.

Various images of specific acts during the day [2022-01-29] received wide condemnation. Protestors were seen drinking and dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial. Chief of the Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre described it as a desecration, and the Royal Canadian Legion condemned the actions. A statue of iconic cancer fundraiser Terry Fox was decorated with an upside-down Canadian flag and a protest sign. The Terry Fox Foundation commented that Terry Fox "believed in science and gave his life to help others". Images of a Canadian flag marked with a swastika were seen, as were two Confederate flags. The man with the Confederate flag was later forced out by other protesters, who said "Now he's going. Now he's gone. We called him out. He knows. He's gonna hold his head in shame now" Some protestors harassed volunteers at a local soup kitchen demanding free food intended for Ottawa's homeless population. According to the soup kitchen, "One member of our shelter community was assaulted by protestors. A security guard went to his aid and was threatened and called racial slurs." The soup kitchen also said that protesters' vehicles blocked the kitchen's ambulance drop-off zone for around 12 hours before they were towed.

On 2022-01-29 the atmosphere was party-like and among the protesters were parents with kids, groups of friends, and elderly people. They were waving flags, playing music and honking horns. Ottawa Police reported de-escalating multiple "high-risk situations" making no arrests.

On 2022-01-30 Ottawa Police launched a criminal investigation into the desecration of the National War Memorial and statue of Terry Fox. They will also be investigating "threatening/illegal/intimidating behaviour" toward police officers, workers and other private citizens. Also on 2022-01-30 Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said that "I think the only thing we can say for sure we're still going to be dealing with some level of traffic disruption and demonstration over the next 24 hours."

A pastor from Aylmer, Ontario, known for repeated openings of the church during pandemic restrictions, held a sermon outside the Prime Minister's office, suggesting the crowd would "come and knock at door", if he didn't heed "the word of God". A press conference was held at an undisclosed location, open only to invited right-wing outlets.

The House of Commons is to resume sitting on 2022-01-31, after the holiday break.

On 2022-01-31 Ottawa paramedics announced that protestors had thrown rocks at an ambulance over the course of the weekend and called paramedics racial slurs. Paramedics had treated 19 people over the course of the weekend, mostly due to alcohol-related intoxication.

Fundraising

As mentioned, fundraising for the Freedom Convoy was organized by Tamara Lich, the secretary of the Maverick Party, a Western Canadian separatist party. The Maverick Party has denied involvement in fundraising for the convoy, issuing a statement on 2022-01-24 saying that the party is not involved in the protest.

More than $7.5 million CAD has been raised as of 2022-01-28, out of the $7 CAD million goal, mostly through "small donations of $50 or $100". Some donors were anonymous and some were from outside Canada. Jodhveer Singh Dhaliwal, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh's brother-in-law, was one of the largest donors to the campaign. Jodhveer Singh Dhaliwal claimed he was unaware what the money would be used for, and claims to have sought a refund.

Fundraising started on 2022-01-14 through the crowdsource fundraising platform GoFundMe. The Taking Back Our Freedom Convoy 2022 GoFundMe quickly raised over $5 million CAD by 2022-01-25. On 2022-01-24 GoFundMe responded to questions by CTV News stating funds raised would not be distributed until the fundraising organizers could demonstrate how the funds would be properly distributed. On 2022-01-27 GoFundMe released the initial $1 million CAD of the funds after the organizers have provided a distribution plan.

Organizers of the fundraising include B.J. Dichter, a 2015 federal Conservative Party of Canada candidate, now associated with the People's Party of Canada.

Funding: Additional Reading

• [CTVNews.ca, 2022-02-17] Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says some protesters' accounts have been frozen, more to come.

• [bc.CTVNews.ca, 2022-02-15] At least $1.1 million donated by British Columbians to "Freedom Convoy".

• Possibly related: [FinBold.com, 2022-02-17] Five major Canadian banks mysteriously go offline in hours-long outage.  |  Discussion: Hacker News: 2022-02-17  |  local copy, 2022-02-17 10:59:48 -0800 (PST)

... It's also worth mentioning that the source of the banking outage has not yet been determined, but its timing is noteworthy since it comes only a few days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau   invoked the Emergencies Act  [Emergencies Act] in the wake of continuing "Freedom Convoy" protests. Finbold had earlier reported on 2022-02-16 that Canadian police had blocked over 30 crypto wallets associated with the "Freedom Convoy" truckers after issuing an order requiring all Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)-regulated organizations in Canada to stop interacting with the cryptocurrency wallet. ...

• [CBC.ca, 2022-02-14] Hacked convoy data shows more than half of donations came from U.S..  Canadians donated more cash than Americans to the protest, however.


Donation data was hacked from GiveSendGo and published anonymously. CBC can't verify the authenticity of every record. Includes donations made until 2022-02-10.   [Source]

• [CTVNews.ca, 2022-02-14] Convoy fundraising leak shows substantial U.S. donations, $75K from Canadian donor.

• Freedom Convoy 2022: Donors

• [PressProgress.ca, 2022-02-09] "Next Step is Civil War:" Big Money Convoy Donor Says Ottawa Siege May Be Canada's Last Hope.  "The next step is they all go back and they have a gun in their hands."

• [PressProgress.ca, 2022-02-11] "We Are Fed Up:" Wealthy Business People Who Donated to Far-Right Convoy Believe They Are Oppressed.  Top donors that bankrolled 'Freedom Convoy' include investment bankers, real estate investors and start-up gurus.

• [CTVNews.ca, 2022-02-08] "Freedom Convoy" raises millions on new crowdfunding platform.

Misinformation

In a Facebook post on 2022-01-26 some organizers estimated as many as 50,000 trucks would be participating in the convoys, a statement repeated in the Toronto Sun and on Fox News. On his blog, Fox News commentator Sean Hannity reported that the convoy was made up of 10,000 heavy trucks, and Toronto Sun editor-in-chief Joe Warmington reported that the event may set a Guinness World Record for the largest truck convoy on record. Snopes described the claims as a "gross exaggeration", suggesting the total count was "likely hundreds", and pointing out that the convoy includes many cars and smaller vehicles. Agence France Presse also fact-checked the claims as false: the current record is 480 trucks, set in Cairo, Egypt in 2020-11, and the Freedom Convoy did not submit an application for an attempt at setting a new record.

On 2022-01-29 the Canadian Trucking Alliance commented that many of the supporters at the protest in Ottawa had no direct connection to the trucking industry.

Alleged Links to Extremist Groups

• [📌 pinned article] [PressProgress.ca, 2022-02-08] Meet the Extremists and Social Media Influencers at the Centre of the Far-Right Siege of Ottawa.  Who is really behind the far-right occupation of Canada's national capital?

• [CTVNews.ca, 2022-02-10] Who is who? A guide to the major players in the trucker convoy protest.

• [Vice.com, 2022-01-28] MPs Told to Hide From Anti-Vaxxer Convoy by Parliament Security Chief.  The convoy, organized by some people with connections to extreme-right or anti-vax movements, has garnered support from some mainstream Conservatives.

In the lead-up to the planned arrival in Ottawa, it was anonymously reported on 2022-01-25 that alleged far-right and white supremacist groups were hoping for violence on Parliament Hilland redress of grievances akin to the 2021 United States Capitol attack. This has caused organizer Tamara Lich to address convoy members and denounce political violence, saying that protesters should "hold a peaceful protest" instead. Organizers and leaders of the convoy condemned extremist groups, and asked that participants report law breakers to the police. They also stated that any extremists found would be "removed" from the convoy. Despite this, some protesters were photographed waving Confederate or Nazi flags at the rally. One man who was carrying a Confederate flag was heckled and forced to leave by other protesters, who said "Now he's going. Now he's gone. We called him out. He knows. He's gonna hold his head in shame now." On 2022-01-28 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concern that a small group of protesters are going to be posing a threat during the weekend.

Links to Far-right and Separatist Groups

James Bauder

Romana Didulo

Patrick King

Tamara Lich

Tanya Gaw

Jason LaFace

Benjamin "Bj" Dichter

Dave Steenburg

Right-Wing Ottawa Trucker Convoy 2022 (v2.0).

In late January and early February, 2022, "truck drivers" and their followers descended upon Canada's capital, Ottawa, Ontario. They claimed their movement [Freedom Convoy 2022] was about "ending vaccine mandates for truckers crossing the USA/Canada border". It soon became obvious that this protest was organized and largely attended by far right-wing activists. Incidents of antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, homophobia, and transphobia ran rampant. Ottawa residents, workers, elected officials, and journalists were targeted, harassed, verbally abused, and some were assaulted. Canada's Prime Minister and all Members of Parliament - from all elected parties from both sides of the isle - came out united with a single voice and condemned their acts of hate and violence. Photos circulated on social media as their protest continued for days. These are a few of the images captured of their protest.  [Source]

Note transphobic rhetoric at ~3:53 mark.  |  See also: Alt-right movement.

Statements and Reactions

Canadian Politicians

Opposition

Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, dismissed the supply chain disruption concerns as unfounded on the basis that most Canadian truckers have been vaccinated. On 2022-01-31 Trudeau called the protests an "insult to truth", saying that "we are not intimated by those who hurl abuse at small business workers and steal food from the homeless" and "We won't give in to those who fly racist flags. We won't cave to those who engage in vandalism, or dishonour the memory of our veterans."

Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Transport, stated that the truckers have had enough time to get vaccinated and also expressed concern over "the small number of far-right, vocal opposition that is polluting" the debate surrounding vaccine mandates. Other Canadian politicians - including Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, and Ottawa City Councillor Katherine McKenney - described the protests as extremist. Mayor of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia Brad West condemned the defacing of Terry Fox's statue during the protest.

Erin O'Toole,  Leader of the Official Opposition as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, initially declined to support the protest, saying instead that the best way to maintain supply chains is for truckers to get vaccinated. Erin O'Toole then later said he would meet with the protesters, but would not participate in nor attend their demonstration in Ottawa. O'Toole, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, later condemned the protestors for "desecrating" the war memorials on Parliament Hill.

Support

Conservative MPs Candice Bergen,  Pierre Poilievre,  Andrew ScheerGarnett Genuis,  Martin Shields,  Warren Steinley, and Jeremy Patzer all expressed their support for the convoy and truckers' movement. Damien Kurek and Michael Cooper attended the rally, serving food.

The People's Party of CanadaWaterloo, Ontario on 2022-01-23 in support of the convoy protests. People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier and Independent Ontario MPP Randy Hillier spoke at the event. Maxime Bernier also attended the 2022-01-29 event at Parliament Hill, criticizing Erin O'Toole for not attending.

On January 29, Scott Moe,  Premier of Saskatchewan, issued a letter in support of the protest. Although repeatedly encouraging vaccination, Scott Moe stated that he did not support the cross-border vaccine mandate because vaccination does not prevent being infected by or transmitting COVID-19 (a statement that was subsequently disputed by multiple provincial doctors), and pledged that he would lift proof of vaccination requirements in Saskatchewan "in the not too-distant future" for that reason.

International Politicians

Various conservative American politicians endorsed the Freedom Convoy including U.S. Representatives   Jim Banks and Kevin McCarthy, former White House Chief of Staff   Mark Meadows, former U.S. President   Donald Trump, and Donald Trump Jr.

Organizations

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), a truckers' trade association, issued a statement supporting vaccination mandates and condemning any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges, but allowed its members to hold a lawful and organized protest on Parliament Hill. In a separate statement, the CTA warned that there were a lot of protesters with no connection to the trucking industry, and appealed to its own members engaged in protests to remain peaceful.

The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada noted concern about the convoy's "racist remarks", citing the comparisons to Nazis and communism. The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association and the British Columbia Trucking Association both criticized the protest.

The Terry Fox Foundation also condemned the defacing of Fox's statue with anti-mandate signs.

The Royal Canadian Legion called protestors dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier "shocking" and "strongly condemn" their actions.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies denounced the use of Nazi symbols by some of the protesters.

Others

General Wayne Eyre, Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, said he was, "sickened to see protesters dance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrate the National War Memorial", after video of such events surfaced online 2022-01-29.

Barry Prentice, transportation economy professor at University of Manitoba, stated that the truckers should be treated differently than flight crews or passenger-train employees, and that the positive aspects of vaccine mandates should be evaluated against the disruptions they would cause to the freight industry. Elon Musk tweeted "Canadian truckers rule" and followed it up with "If you scare people enough, they will demand removal of freedom. This is the path to tyranny." English comedian Russell Brand released a video decrying the media for ignoring reporting on the protest. Russell Brand also said in the video that "Truckers, who were previously regarded as heroes when they were delivering vital goods and working during the lockdown, are now villains as they protest vaccine mandates". Krista Haynes, daughter of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and active anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine campaigner, attended a rally in support of the truckers as they headed to Ottawa.

Copycat Protests

France

Protesters gathered in southern France on Wednesday [2022-02-09] for what they say will be a "freedom convoy" that will converge on Paris and Brussels to demand an end to COVID-19 restrictions, inspired by protesters who have blocked a Canadian border crossing. About 200 protesters assembled in a parking lot in Nice, France, on France's Mediterranean coast, with many displaying Canadian flags in a nod to the truckers in Canada who are protesting their government's COVID-19 restrictions. The protesters in Nice said they planned to head first to Paris, then on to Brussels -- headquarters of the European Union -- to demand, among other things, the scrapping of rules barring people from public venues if they don't have a COVID-19 vaccination.

New Zealand

United States

Some of the United States' most-right-wing politicians and commentators are doing their damnedest to get into the middle of Canada's number one domestic issue: the anti-vax-mandate protest known as the "Freedom Convoy." Many non-Canadian figures started piping up in support of the protest after GoFundMe pulled the fundraiser for it, which had raised over $10 million, because of "police reports of violence and other unlawful activity" from protesters. "It is a fraud for GoFundMe to commandeer $9M in donations sent to support truckers and give it to causes of their own choosing," tweeted Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted out that he "assembled a team to investigate their potential fraud & deception." Ken Paxton urged his followers to contact him if they were "victimized." Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said that his office will be looking into whether "GoFundMe violated our state law." Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly called GoFundMe a "communist corporation." Fox News host Tucker Carlson is hawking "I Heart Truckers" merchandise, and Ted Cruz sent a strongly worded letter.

The obvious irony is that while many convoy participants and backers have ranted about "globalists" and elites, the protest is now creating a truly global campaign.

[ ... snip ... ]

Before dawn on 2022-01-30 Regina Anne Bateson, a resident of Ottawa, Canada, loaded her skis into her car and headed out to one of her favorite cross-country trails. Regina Anne Bateson was looking forward to some solitude - she rarely encountered others at this time of day. But as she approached the trailhead, she came upon an odd sight: dozens of big-rig trucks lining the road, their idling motors piercing the stillness. This was the start of an ongoing seizure of Canada's capital by truckers and others in protest of vaccine and mask mandates [Freedom Convoy 2022]. Over the next few weeks, Bateson watched the protests snowball into a full-scale occupation of Ottawa's downtown core. Trucks have completely halted traffic and disrupted U.S.-Canada border crossings crucial for commerce. Protesters in the city center have settled in, using mobile saunas to keep warm. Amid their barbecues and bouncy castles, some have displayed flags decorated with swastikas. One group allegedly tried to start a fire in the lobby of an apartment building. "It has spiraled and spiraled and spiraled into an attempt to overthrow the government," Bateson says.

The unrest has been celebrated by right-wing U.S. news outlets. "The regime media knows exactly what's happening in Canada, and it scares the heck out of them," Laura Ingraham declared on Fox News. "Freedom Convoy Triumphs as Canadian Mandates Fall," a Breitbart News   headline crowed. Donald Trump, who praised the mob that ransacked the U.S. Capitol [2021 United States Capitol attack] based on his lie that the election was stolen, has also voiced support for the Ottawa convoy. So have Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis  [Wikipedia: Ron DeSantis] and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton  [Wikipedia: Ken Paxton], both Republicans.

Heartened by the size and disruption of the Canada protest, activists in the United States are now planning their own domestic convoys. On Telegram, leaders of the California anti-vaccine group Freedom Angels Foundation  [Wikipedia: Freedom Angels Foundation] are urging followers to create national and local convoys, and calling on those who can't participate to donate supplies. Telegram threads from Southern California planning groups obtained by Mother Jones show that these groups, like their Canadian counterparts, have attracted extremists, including prominent white nationalists. Parents are heavily involved, too, offering the use of family vehicles and enlisting their children for moral support.

[ ... snip ... ]

Attacks on Schools

RCMP in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley are investigating after anti-mandate protesters targeted high school students in Oliver, British Columbia. The confrontations happened Friday [2022-02-11] outside Southern Okanagan Secondary School. A woman [Silke Schulze] was caught on camera screaming in a student's face. Mounties say Silke Schulze yelled "profanities with racist undertones." "The actions of these protestors is unacceptable. The safety of children at school is very important and a place of learning appears to have been violated," wrote Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth of Oliver RCMP in an email to CTV News. ... Don Wrigglesworth says the woman in the video has been identified and charges are coming. ...

... British Columbia.'s Minister of Educationeducation minister Jennifer Whiteside also condemned the behaviour. "Schools are not appropriate places for these kinds of demonstrations. It's completely inappropriate for adults in communities to be harassing and intimidating students in that way. Particularly with the racist overtones there were to those exchanges," said Jennifer Whiteside. New legislation makes it illegal to protest within a 20-metre "bubble zone" around facilities like schools and hospitals.

Protester Silke Schulze of Oliver, British Columbia has been fined after she was captured on video yelling at students outside their school during an anti-mandate protest.  [Source]

• [CTVNews.ca, 2022-02-16] RCMP say protester facing $2,300 fine after confrontation with students outside Oliver high school.

A protester [Silke Schulze of Oliver, British Columbia] has been fined after she was captured on video yelling at students outside their school during an anti-mandate protest.  [Source]

An anti-mandate protest outside a high school - which students say school officials and police failed to prevent - resulted in a verbal confrontation between adults and students - and, in one case, a protester [Silke Schulze] yelling a racially charged insult and profanity at a student. The incident unfolded on 2022-02-11 at Southern Okanagan Secondary School in Oliver, British Columbia, when a convoy of vehicles arrived - ostensibly to support student walkouts over mask mandates promoted by protest groups across the country. About 10 students took part in the walkout, while approximately 20 adults who had participated in the convoy gathered on the road and sidewalk outside the school to protest, according to both RCMP and students who witnessed the event.

[ ... snip ... ]

After about 15 minutes, Allen says things turned "hostile" as one adult singled out a student of South Asian descent. In a video filmed by another student, a woman identified by RCMP as Silke Schulze of Oliver, British Columbia, can be seen leaning toward the student and yelling, "I have a fucking right to be in this country, do you?" In a second video, Silke Schulze calls the student an expletive and walks away. ... According to RCMP, Silke Schulze is facing a fine of $2,300 under the Access to Services COVID-19 Vaccination Act. ...

Another Ottawa-area school is reporting an incident of harassment as Canada's capital enters its third week under siege by a convoy led by far-right extremists. A "notice of incident" email obtained by PressProgress shows school officials at Devonshire Community Public School notified parents Friday afternoon [2022-02-11] that a pick-up truck was involved in a hostile confrontation with parents. Devonshire Community Public School, which is located in Ottawa's Hintonburg neighbourhood, is a significant distance from the main action of the far-right convoy - nearly three kilometres away from Parliament Hill.

The email, signed by the school's principal, indicates two parents were confronted by an individual in a pick-up truck who video recorded the random act of harassment. "This morning two parents advised that after dropping their children off at school, they were approached by a pick-up truck and verbally harassed by the driver who videotaped the incident," the email states. It adds that the parents asked the driver to "leave children alone" and then "reported the incident to the police and the school." "Additional staff are outside during recess and are monitoring for unusual behaviour and will bring children into the school if there is any reason for concern." The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board confirmed the authenticity of the email to PressProgress, as well as the description of the confrontation.

[ ... snip ... ]

An Ottawa school board is confirming an incident at a local elementary school as leaders of a far-right convoy muse openly about targeting area schools. Earlier this week [2022-02], as students were let out at the end of a school day, a number of parents and teachers at Alta Vista Public School encountered a vehicle that appeared to be connected to the far-right siege of Ottawa. The school is located in one of the city's residential neighbourhoods 20 minutes south of Parliament Hill. One eyewitness said the vehicle had the word "freedom" written on its side. They said the vehicle taunted students by revving its engines before giving a group of parents, teachers and young children the middle finger. "He was going super slow," the eyewitness told PressProgress, adding that the incident lasted up to "two minutes" and left them feeling "nervous" and "worried for the kids." "It's really scary, actually." "Deliberate too," they added, noting the elementary school is "not on a main street."

[ ... snip ... ]


Elementary School Students and Teachers Dealing With Harassment as Far-Right Convoy Occupies Ottawa.  [Source]

A man named Chris Elston - an anti-trans activist  [see also: transphobia] who has been travelling the country staging protests outside of elementary schools - was spotted on the Rideau Canal.

Additional Reading

• [CTVNews.ca, 2022-02-10] Who is who? A guide to the major players in the trucker convoy protest.

• [Vice.com, 2022-01-28] MPs Told to Hide From Anti-Vaxxer Convoy by Parliament Security Chief.  The convoy, organized by some people with connections to extreme-right or anti-vax movements, has garnered support from some mainstream Conservatives.

This morning, my Twitter feed was filled with notifications regarding a TikTok video shared by VanRamblings blogger   Raymond Tomlin. It sums up the views of many who are fed up with people honking horns at pro-COVID demonstrations. You can see it below.

Some thoughts on the so-called Freedom Convoy 2022.  [source]

Mentions: Indigenous peoples in Canada Indigenous specific land claims in Canada [unceded lands] Canadian Indian residential school gravesites Lack of Clean Drinking Water in Indigenous communities People of color in Canada  |  local copy LGBT rights in Canada Feminism in Canada  [women's rights] COVID-19 vaccination in Canada White privilege,  white nationalism, and alt-right movement

This past weekend [2022-01-{29-30}], thousands of people stormed Ottawa as part of what's being called the "freedom convoy [Freedom Convoy 2022]" What started as a protest over the federal government's 2022-01-15 vaccine mandate that requires all truckers crossing the Canadian border be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 - the United States has since implemented a similar mandate - has evolved into something much more sinister.

Starting last week in Delta, British Columbia, the convoy has attracted support from across the country. People have come from both the West Coast   and East Coast to meet in Ottawa, disrupting traffic,  entering buildings maskless,  honking horns late into the night and harassing the city's residents.

The convoy says it will stay in Ottawa until it hears from the federal government. The movement has been heavily criticized as being organized by or at the very least encouraging the participation of Canada's far-right.

Who is participating?

The convoy was started by Canada Unity, a group that has been extremely critical of COVID-19-related mandates. Reports have shown that far-right sympathizers, or members of the far-right themselves, are behind much of the organizing. For example, Tamara Lich  [local copy], a member of the right-wing Maverick Party  [Maverick Party, formerly known as Wexit Canada], formally affiliated with the Wexit Movement, began a GoFundMe for the convoy which, as of 2022-02-01 had raised over $9.5 million CAD. When asked about the convoy, Tamara Lich stated that it was not about vaccinations, but instead was about protecting Canadian rights and freedoms.

Another convoy leader, Dave Steenburg, has been sharing conspiracy theories pertaining to COVID-19 vaccination and has even shared posts depicting war crime punishments for those who have legislated and enforced COVID-19 mandates. Dave Steenburg made headlines when he posted a Soldiers of Odin logo (a known far-right hate group) on his social media page with captions encouraging Canadians to stand up for their rights.

Patrick King  [Patrick James King,  Red Deer, Alberta  |  Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta v. Patrick James King], another organizer stated that he believes the vaccine was created to "depopulate" the white race. And B.J. Dichter  [local copy  |  Bj Dichter [sic]  |  Benjamin Dichter], another convoy participant, is known for spewing Islamophobic sentiments.

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• Benjamin Dichter who is listed as an organizer on the Freedom Convoy GoFundMe page and who is an organizer of the Freedom Convoy was a speaker at the inaugural 2019 People's Party of Canada National Convention where he claimed political Islam has infiltrated the Conservative Party of Canada and is "rotting away at our society like syphilis".

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[Comment] Benjamin "Bj" Dichter appears to be the chairman of LGBTory, a Canadian LGBT conservative organization. LGBTory was established in 2015 as an advocacy group for LGBT supporters of the Conservative Party of Canada and provincial conservative parties. To date, the organization's most widely publicized activity has been its participation in several of Canada's largest Pride parades in 2015, representing the first time that an organized LGBT conservative group had ever participated in any of the events.

At Ottawa's Capital Pride in 2015-08, LGBTory was faced with an online petition - signed by approximately 200 members of the city's LGBT community - demanding that the pride committee bar LGBTory from marching. The petition asserted that "by not distancing themselves from politicians who are actively dismantling our rights," the group was participating in "bad faith;" the petition also claimed that by using the T in the LGBT initialism to stand for "Tory",  LGBTory was erasing transgender identities and issues [see also: Anti-Transgender "Wedge" Tactics].

LGBTory did not directly organize a contingent at Vancouver Pride [2015], although the Conservative Party's federal electoral district association in Vancouver Centre applied to participate but then withdrew. The withdrawal was tied to conflicting claims about whether LGBTory had sought an exemption from having to sign a pledge committing participating groups to respect and defend transgender equality rights.

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While some have stated the Freedom Convoy 2022 is about the vaccine mandates, others have claimed that this is a national movement about general rights and freedoms and government interference. This isn't a homogeneous movement, and it has even been criticized from within the industry - most truckers are complying with the vaccine mandate. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian Trucking Alliance have stated that between 85 and 90 per cent of truckers are already vaccinatated. Some have also spoken out against the convoy, "calling the convoy an embarrassment." Those in the industry participating in the "freedom convoy" make up a very small minority of truckers in Canada.

Freedom for whom?

Because of what's happening, many Ottawa residents currently feel trapped inside their homes, the antithesis of freedom. Members of the Canadian far-right have been present in both organizing and participating in the convoy, and their participation is troubling. We need to be asking how far-right groups got involved in the convoy, what their roles are and how a perceived "loss of freedom" has drawn so many supporters.

The Canadian far-right movement has grown in recent years, and many have raised concerns about far-right sympathy across Canada, suggesting far-right sympathy is a very present threat. There are also growing concerns over how its supporters mobilize online. Many infamous far-right riots originate and continue online well after protests are finished - including the Unite the Right rally  [Wikipedia: Unite the Right rally, 2017-08-{11-12}, Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.A.]. in 2017 Some far-right groups have also influenced offline politics and political parties, suggesting the possibility of far-right movements, or their political platforms, reaching electoral politics.

The "freedom convoy" is just one iteration of how the far-right can and does mobilize willing participants into their movements under the guise of moral freedoms and rights. Reports have lodged concerns that the convoy may add fuel to future populist participation in Canadian politics  [populism].

This past week [2022-01]'s events have overshadowed many communities' mourning. While the convoy rolled toward Ottawa, 93 graves of Indigenous children were found on the ground of the former St. Joseph Mission Residential School  [Canadian Indian residential school gravesites]. Some part of the convoy carried swastika flags during Holocaust Remembrance Day  [Wikipedia: Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day]. And an in-person vigil to commemorate the anniversary of the Québec City mosque attack was cancelled in Ottawa due to fears of violence  [Quebec City mosque shooting, 2017-01-29].

At a time when the nation should be rallying around these issues, fighting against structural violence for our communities, time, resources and attention are being given to this "freedom" convoy.At a time when Canada should be fighting against structural violence, resources and attention are being given to this "freedom" convoy.

A lot of Canadians spent the weekend furious about the Freedom Convoy 2022 truckers who arrived in Ottawa and immediately launched a kind of slow, ongoing riot. There they were, parking around the Cenotaph  [National War Memorial], prancing (and pissing) in the snow on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, waving Nazi flags, hanging an anti-vax post on the Terry Fox monument, mooching free meals from a soup kitchen, and screaming at the media covering the protest. If they didn't also create a COVID-19 superspreader event, it wasn't for lack of trying.

Of course most of us were shocked and appalled, saying so on social media. I joined others in marvelling at how the protesters had sabotaged their own cause. As a grizzled veteran of protests, marches and demonstrations going back to the 1950s, I could see they were doing everything wrong. How could such jerks gain popular support? Then I realized this is how it starts. Not with widespread popularity but a charged minority displaying the intensity of their destructive impulses. Their thin edge of the wedge, if not dealt with firmly, could drive Canada towards anti-democratic illiberalism and the breakdown of public trust in its institutions.

If we regard the truckers as ordinary protesters, they're hopeless. Ever since the days of the On to Ottawa Trek in the Dirty Thirties  [Dust Bowl] (and the Bonus March in the U.S.), protests have been premised on a simple principle: the government isn't living up to its own laws, or its laws undercut its claims of justice and fairness for all. The protest is intended to bring out thousands of people to shame the government into respecting to its own proclaimed beliefs in justice, equality, freedom, the rule of law.

Legitimate civil disobedience raises the ante: your laws are unjust, the protesters say, and we'll go to jail if that's what it takes to embarrass you into changing them. The truckers disregarded all those principles. The reasons for their cross-country convoy morphed from day to day, hour to hour. "Freedom" from COVID-19 vaccination vanished; now it was the whole public health response that had to go, and never mind that the federal government can't much influence the provinces on such issues. Then a strange alliance of the Governor General and the Canadian Senate was supposed to oust Justin Trudeau and... what? Hand the country over to the truckers? Maybe that's what happens when you stop teaching Canadian history and civics. The truckers didn't seem to have a very clear sense of any kind of history. They did know that swastikas trigger people, like a thumbtack on the teacher's chair. They wanted to "own" us, get a rise out of us, by telling us how little they shared of our values.

We've seen this show before, but not here. The American political establishment nearly fainted when Donald Trump started calling Mexicans rapists and drug dealers. That was only one of Trump's scandalous pronouncements, each worse than the last - and each bringing more followers into his ranks. Political orthodoxy held that you'd lose votes by insulting voters; Trump showed otherwise, and politicians around the world took notes. What's more, Trump could insult and undermine American institutions, and persuade Americans that some weird Deep State had taken over their country, from the media to the FBI to the electoral system. That, said Trump, was why so many people were getting a raw deal. Of course it didn't make sense, unless you thought you'd had a raw deal. But that was the attraction: you didn't have to marshal arguments, cite authorities, or otherwise try to persuade skeptics. You could just dump on anyone who didn't agree with you. If you did pretend to argue, you could do so with the "bad faith" Jean-Paul Sartre describes in his book Anti-Semite and Jew; you could mock the rational person's trust in evidence and logic. And you would have the advantage of "hate as a faith."

So the truckers and their supporters have behaved very badly to challenge Canadians who respect and trust in their institutions. You admire Terry Fox? We couldn't care less. You respect our fallen soldiers? Piss on them. You're in the media? We don't need to give you a sound bite about what we want - just a few seconds of abusing you as a stooge of a lying newspaper or broadcaster. And of course the same disrespect goes out to every health-care worker, every teacher, every civil servant. Make their jobs harder, push them to burn out and quit so the hospitals and schools and governments can't function as well. No one knows what's true anymore, which is a precondition for fascism. The Freedom Convoy 2022, then, is a deliberate provocation, a test of the municipal and federal governments: We'll show you what we think of you and your sacred institutions. Now what are you going to do about it?

On Sunday [2022-01-30] the Ottawa police announced that "several investigations" were underway into "the desecration of the National War Memorial. Terry Fox statues, threatening/illegal/intimidating behaviour to policy/city workers and other individuals and damage to a city vehicle." They did not explain why the desecrators and threateners hadn't been arrested on the spot, or at least pepper-sprayed and "kettled" as many other demonstrators have been in the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the truckers have also obliged Trudeau and his family to move to a secret location. (His father would have said "Just watch me," and called in the army.) Jagmeet Singh has confined himself to severe disapproval of "vile, violent and hateful behaviour." The truckers have also effectively neutered the Conservative Party of Canada.   Erin O'Toole could neither reject them nor endorse them, just as he couldn't come out for or against vaccination. Meanwhile, Maxime Bernier's  People's Party of Canada was in the thick of it and likely signing up plenty of members.

So far, then, the Freedom Convoy is doing very well by carrying out its lampoon of a serious demonstration. The institutions of government and media have responded feebly if at all, as they did in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. A few law-breaking desecrators may eventually be rounded up and jailed, but they will be tolerable casualties. The truckers and their supporters will use them to raise more money for new protests. Provincial governments will hem and haw about local protests and harassment of health-care workers and teachers, but they won't dare collar the leaders and let them reflect in jail on the error of their ways.

Our governments seem to have made a disastrous misjudgment - that the truckers and their supporters are an angry spasm to be endured until their energy can be cooled out and co-opted through politicking as usual. The convoy should be seen instead as a test run for more institution destabilizing efforts, increasingly well-funded and well-organized by those who seek to transform Canada. Where the truckers and their supporters are violating laws, they should be promptly arrested. Such arrests, continued as long as needed, would show Canada and the world that we're serious about peace, order and good government - and public health as well. Justice delayed is justice denied for such people. Worse yet, justice is both denied and discredited for the rest of us.

Police haven't reported any physical violence at the ongoing Ottawa rally against vaccine mandates and other government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions, but critics warn that conflating the absence of bloodshed with "peaceful" protest downplays the dangers of the weekend demonstrations. For two days, the downtown core of the nation's capital [Ottawa] has been a no-go zone as trucks and crowds have snarled traffic, with some members defacing monuments and wielding signs with violent and hateful imagery. Police are also investigating what they describe as threatening behaviour toward police officers, city workers and other individuals, as well as damage to a city vehicle.

But as of Sunday afternoon [2022-01-30], there were no arrests related to incidents of physical violence during the demonstrations, a police spokeswoman said, though a statement issued that evening said "confrontations and the need for de-escalation has regularly been required." This has prompted many media reports to describe the protests as "peaceful." Activists and academics on social media have taken issue with this characterization, saying it undermines the fear, damage and disruption the protests have wrought.

Catherine McKenney, the councillor for Ottawa's downtown, said the protests have been very disruptive for local residents, adding many have also found them disturbing. "They're also seeing the images that we're all seeing, of very right-wing extremist messages: the flags that display the swastika, confederate flags, images of a prime minister being lynched," Catherine McKenney said. "I'm not sure that I would continue to call this peaceful." McKenney, who is non-binary, said they aren't sure they would be safe venturing downtown. "There's no doubt that there is a large element in this convoy, that is part of a movement, that is extreme and that is xenophobic. We knew that coming into the weekend, but it's really very difficult to see that play out in our neighbourhoods."

Josh Greenberg  [local copy] - professor of communication and media studies at Carleton University - echoed many of Catherine McKenney's concerns. Josh Greenberg explored the issue in a series of tweets in which he argued the evidence of intimidation and harassment, alongside the blatant flouting of public health measures and limiting access to key city infrastructure, do "not meet a common definition of 'peaceful'." "By what common understanding of the term 'peaceful' does what we are seeing on the ground, on TV, in our social media feeds qualify as 'peaceful protest?' Greenberg wrote. "Is it merely the absence of physical violence and injury? That's not unimportant but is insufficient as a definitional threshold." Greenberg did not respond to request for an interview on Sunday [2022-02-30].

Fareed Khan  [local copy  |  LinkedIn page: Fareed Khan  |  local copy] - founder of Canadians United Against Hate - described the protests as a threat to political stability and "peace-loving" Canadians. "People do have a right to peacefully protest. I've been involved in organizing a number of these sorts of things," said Khan. "But you know what we didn't do? We didn't disrupt an entire city ... we didn't call for the unseating of the government. We didn't intimidate and threaten people who didn't agree with us." Khan said the demonstrations don't have to come to blows to jeopardize public safety. Khan said some protesters have refused to wear masks in indoor venues, and suggested the mass gathering could become a COVID-19 "superspreader event" that would have deadly consequences far beyond those who attended it. Khan accused protesters of targeting marginalized groups with racist and antisemitic symbols, intimidation and harassment. Khan added that Canadians United Against Hate's planned in-person vigil in Ottawa marking the fifth anniversary of a deadly shooting at a Quebec City Mosque was cancelled on Saturday [2022-01-29] due to safety concerns  [Quebec City mosque shooting, 2017-01-29].

Fareed Khan said the public response to this weekend's demonstrations exposes a racist double standard in civil resistance, suggesting protests advocating for the rights of those who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour have faced much harsher opposition for causing far less disruption. "This smacks of racism and white privilege," Khan said. "If you had a Muslim, or a Brown person, or an Indigenous person who organized such an event and called for unseating the government of this country, security forces would have been down on them like a bag of hammers."

Deirdre Freiheit  [local copy], president of Shepherds of Good Hope, said staff and volunteers at a soup kitchen allegedly fielded verbal abuse from protesters demanding meals over several hours. Deirdre Freiheit alleged that a member of the shelter community was assaulted by protesters, and a security guard who came to his aid was threatened and called racial slurs. Ottawa police have reached out to Shepherds of Good Hope to investigate the incident, a service spokeswoman said Sunday evening [2022-01-30].

Additional Reading: Miscellaneous

A former People's Party of Canada riding president is among those taken into custody today [2022-02-17] by Ottawa police. In the tweet below, Shane Marshall is shown being escorted to a squad car by a large number of officers.

Étienne Fortin-Gauthier  |  @EtienneFG

Autre arrestation ciblée à Ottawa [Another targeted arrest in Ottawa].  |  #noovoinfo  |  #ottawa  |  2022-02-17

Arrest of Shane Marshall, 2022-02-17.  [Source  |  local copy]

Last year [2021], Shane Marshall was charged with one count of assault with a weapon after he allegedly threw gravel at Justin Trudeau in London, Ontario. On 2021-09-06 Justin Trudeau was campaigning in Elgin-Middlesex-London when he was greeted by angry protesters. The pebbles were thrown as he was stepping onto the Liberal Party of Canada bus.

Not long after Marshall's name was linked to the pebble-throwing incident, he ceased being the People's Party of Canada riding president in Elgin-Middlesex-London [CBC.ca, 2021-09-21, People's Party of Canada drops riding president over stone-throwing incident at Trudeau event.  Shane Marshall was the president of the Elgin Middlesex London riding association.]

In the 2021 Canadian federal election, Conservative Party of Canada incumbent Karen Vecchio easily retained her seat, winning 49.9 percent of the votes. The People's Party of Canada candidate, Chelsea Hillier, came fourth with 11.8 percent of all ballots cast. Chelsea Hillier's father, Randy Hillier, is an independent   Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario, and a major supporter of the convoy to Ottawa  Freedom Convoy 2022].

• [theConversation.com, 2022-02-17] Black and Indigenous protesters are treated differently than the 'convoy' because of Canada's ongoing racism.

Since the beginning of the supposed "Freedom Convoy" in Ottawa on 2022-01-28, there have been complaints about the failure of the police and government to protect its citizens from verbal harassment, noise pollution and, in some cases, hate speech. Experts have connected the convoy to white supremacist ideologies. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a national state of emergency on 2022-02-14, invoking the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history. Ontario Premier Doug Ford called a provincial state of emergency on 2022-02-11. However, the convoy had grown for days before these actions were taken.

The convoy protest began as a statement against COVID-19 vaccination requirements for truck drivers crossing the border between Canada and the United States. But trucker unions have distanced themselves from the convoy and said that 90 per cent of their members are vaccinated.

Two questions immediately come to mind. Why did it take so long for police and governments to protect Ottawa residents and businesses from reportedly volatile protestors? And if the convoy was organized by Black and Indigenous groups, would the response by both the police and government have been more severe? The Canadian historian David Austin  [John Abbott College  |  bio] has explored the politics of race and protest in his book Fear of a Black Nation  [GoodReads.com: Fear of a Black Nation]. Given David Austin's analysis of police responses to Black protest in Montreal during the 1960s, it is clear that the failure of the police to protect the residents of Ottawa by controlling this protest earlier is a part of the legacy of colonialism in Canada.

[ ... snip ... ]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made history by becoming the first leader of Canada to invoke the federal Emergencies Act, to try to bring an end to the ongoing trucker convoy protests paralyzing Ottawa and border blockades. ... Formerly known as the War Measures Act, the current iteration passed in 1988, bringing in new parliamentary oversight and a requirement for Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms compliance. The last time these federal emergency powers were invoked was during the 1970 FLQ October Crisis  [October Crisis  |  FLQ: Front de libération du Québec], when Justin Trudeau's father - Pierre Elliott Trudeau was the prime minister. Prior to that it was used in both the First World War  [World War I] and Second World War  [World War II]. The Emergencies Act allows for actions to combat urgent and critical situations that seriously threaten some aspect of Canadians' lives, and that cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada. The Emergencies Act was called a "last resort" when federal officials were looking at - but never acted on - using these powers in 2020-03 to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. ...

• [Public Safety Canada: Canada.ca, 2022-02-14] Federal Government declares a public order emergency under the Emergencies Act to end disruptions, blockades and the occupation of the city of Ottawa.  |  local copy

The Canadian Armed Forces have acknowledged that at least six active soldiers are under investigation after they showed support for the protest against vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 measures. It's unclear how many of them have participated in the protests on Parliament Hill. CBC News has confirmed a report in the Ottawa Citizen that two members under investigation are part of the Joint Task Force 2 (JTF 2 assault team, the elite counterterrorism unit of the Canadian Armed Forces. "If the allegations are accurate, this is wrong, and it goes against Canadian Armed Forces values and ethics," Major-General Steve Boivin, commander of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, said in a statement.

[ ... snip ... ]

The "Freedom Convoy" that has taken over downtown Ottawa and inspired   other protests is a diverse group of people who have shown themselves not to be interested in "freedom," "unity" or "vaccine mandates." Over the past two weeks, the protests have caused un-freedom; it has allowed extremist groups to gain space, ushering in counter-protesters. Their demands have become a laundry list that began with talk of protesting a vaccine mandate for truckers and overthrowing a democratically elected government (a notion protest leaders now say they reject).

But also worthy of note is that protesters in Ottawa raise some topics of concern for those traditionally on the right and the left of the political spectrum. If some Canadians empathize with some convoy concerns while disagreeing with tactics and visible signs of hate, they must also take a closer look at the sustained mayhem protesters are causing. This should be seen in the context of extremist white supremacist views emphasizing how corrupt western governments can be undone by creating chaos.

Extremism in many forms and shapes are seen in this protest movement that drive radicalization to violence. Counter-radicalization efforts will be needed by governments in collaboration with other non-government representatives. But the immediate vexing question seems to be finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Similar protests were emulated in New Zealand and elsewhere, setting a dangerous precedent in the global West.

Far-right Support

By now, the public is familiar with some detail about protest leadership and social media influencers behind the Ottawa event. These include James Bauder - founder of the group Canada Unity - a conspiracy theorist who participated in another convoy linked to white nationalist hate groups, and Pat King - a far-right figure who previously broadcast rants about the "depopulation of the Caucasian race."

Wired.com reports many of successful social media posts about the Freedom Convoy protests are coming from familiar figures from the American far right.

[ ... snip ... ]

• [CanadianDimension.com, 2022-02-09] Trucker convoy targeted Erin O'Toole.  Despite the outrage against the far-right demonstration, the movement's bid to take over the Conservative Party could pay off.

One of the wealthy donors who helped bankroll the Freedom Convoy 2022 that has occupied Ottawa streets for nearly two weeks says not only does he stand behind his donation, but believes acts of civil disobedience against public health measures are Canada's last hope before "civil war." As the so-called "Freedom Convoy" approaches its second week occupying Ottawa, Mayor Jim Watsonhas declared a state of emergency, an Ontario court has issued an injunction stopping all-night honking, and over 200 hate incidents have been reported to police. Ottawa's police chief is now requesting thousands of reinforcements to break up the convoy.

Leading up to the far-right siege of Ottawa, convoy organizers raised over $10 million through GoFundMe before the crowdfunding platform shut down the convoy's account on 2022-02-04, stating that the Freedom Convoy had violated the platform's Terms of Service prohibiting the "promotion of violence and harassment."

CBC News reported a large number of those donations came from unnamed and foreign sources. However, a list of donors to the anti-vaccine convoy reviewed by PressProgress identifies a number of wealthy donors and businesses who are real and based in Canada. One name that appears on that list is Evans Trucking, which gave the convoy $5,000.

Reese Evans  [local copy], General Manager of the Coaldale, Alberta-based trucking company, confirmed he financially supported the convoy because he wants to see "freedom" restored in Canada. "Freedom would be ideal," Evans told PressProgress. "Freedom to live our lives the way we did four years ago without being mandated or threatened into putting things in our body under duress," Evans explained, adding while he thinks "vaccines are a good thing in this world" he doesn't "care for being told that I have to or else." "We as a company have conservative values," Evans noted. "We obviously do not agree with vaccine mandates. We never have."

Reese Evans predicts Justin Trudeau will be brought down by a "no confidence vote" as a result of protests in Ottawa, something which may usher in a new era for Canada. "I have very, very high hopes that Pierre Poilievre is going to get into the UCP federal position," Reese Evans said [clarification: UCP refers to the United Conservative Party, a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada; Pierre Poilievre is a actually a member of the Conservative Party of Canada]. "I really honestly believe he [Pierre Poilievre] would do a very, very good job of being prime minister." Reese Evans, who has spent "many nights" at the blockade in Coutts, Alberta, said he voted for Jason Kenney's  United Conservative Party in 2019 but no longer supports them because Jason Kenney is "not acting in a way that a Conservative leader would be." Evans suggested someone is "pulling his [Jason Kenney's] strings" but declined to say who. "We all have our assumptions," he said with a chuckle.

[ ... snip ... ]


Evans Trucking (Coaldale, Alberta) gave the Freedom Convoy 2022 $5,000 CAD. If the "peaceful protest" doesn't end in Ottawa or at the Canada-U.S. border in Coutts, Alberta the way Reese Evans (General Manager at Reese Trucking) hopes it will, he predicts the "next step" will be violence.  [Source]

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• [PressProgress.ca, 2022-02-11] "We Are Fed Up:" Wealthy Business People Who Donated to Far-Right Convoy Believe They Are Oppressed.  Top donors that bankrolled 'Freedom Convoy' include investment bankers, real estate investors and start-up gurus.

The "Freedom Convoy" is gaining traction on a new crowdfunding platform after GoFundMe shut its doors on the movement. As of Tuesday afternoon [2022-02-08], the Freedom Convoy had raised more than $6.3 million U.S. from 69,661 donors on GiveSendGo, which describes itself as the "#1 free Christian crowdfunding site."

The new campaign states that funds raised will help cover the cost of fuel for the truckers protesting across Canada and will also help with food and shelter costs, "to help ease the pressures of this arduous task." "In order for your generous donations to flow smoothly, the good people at GiveSendGo will be sending donations directly to our bulk fuel supplier and are working out the details now which means your hard earned money is going straight to who it was meant for and need not flow through anyone else," the page description reads. "Any left over donations will be donated to a credible veterans organization which will be chosen by the donors." However, in a statement issued Monday [2022-02-07], GiveSendGo said they've been in contact with campaign organizers and have received "full assurance" that all funds raised will go to providing humanitarian aid and legal support for the truckers.

Last Friday [2022-02-04], GoFundMe removed the group's fundraising page, where they had raised more than $10 million, after stating the objectives of the convoy violated the platform's terms. "We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity," a statement from GoFundMe reads. An initial $1 million had already been released to the organizers of the protests. The rest of the money will be refunded directly to donors.

For close to two weeks the convoy's Ottawa-based rally has blockaded the downtown core of the nation's capital, shuttering businesses, clogging traffic, and generating lawsuit-provoking noise pollution. It's all in an attempt to convince elected officials to remove all vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions.

The protests have garnered global attention, namely in the United States. Many U.S. media personalities, political strategists, and elected officials have applauded the Freedom Convoy movement for its pursuit to restore "freedom." While information about donors, their location, and their intention remains limited, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly indicated in a press conference last week [2022-02] that there may be U.S. ties. "We are now aware of a significant element from the U.S. that have been involved in the funding, the organizing," Peter Sloly said.

GiveSendGo does provide a list of donations but many supporters are identified as "anonymous" and they provide no information about their location. Amounts range anywhere from $10 to $25,000. In the comments section, donors urge the convoy not to quit, to keep fighting for the working class, and to continue to stand up against "tyranny." Some directly call out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In a video posted to the top of the fundraising page, convoy organizer Tamara Lich - a Prairies-based political activist - said the Freedom Convoy plans to be in Ottawa for the "long haul." "As long as it takes to ensure that your rights and freedoms are restored," she said. Freedom Convoy hopes to raise $16 million U.S..

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• [CTVNews.ca, 2022-02-10] Ontario court freezes access to donations for truckers' protest from GiveSendGo.

Former U.S. president Donald Trump has issued a statement criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over vaccine mandates and expressing support for the trucker convoy protests happening across Canada. In a statement issued Friday [2022-02-04], Donald Trump backed the demonstration, now entering its second week in Ottawa. "The Freedom Convoy is peacefully protesting the harsh policies of far left lunatic Justin Trudeau who has destroyed Canada with insane Covid mandates," Trump said. The former U.S. president [Trump] also had harsh words for Big Tech over the protests, claiming Facebook and other social media companies are "seeking to destroy" the so-called freedom convoy. "Facebook is canceling the accounts of Freedom Convoy USA [sic (Trump rhetoric)], and GoFundMe is denying access to funds that belong to the Freedom Convoy. This is unacceptable and extremely dangerous in any country that values free expression," Trump's statement read.

An online fundraiser for the trucker convoy protests was removed by GoFundMe on Friday [2022-02-04] after raising more than $10 million CAD. In a statement, GoFundMe said it had determined the "Freedom Convoy 2022" fundraiser violated its terms of service, "which prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment." "GoFundMe supports peaceful protests and we believe that was the intention of the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser when it was first created," GoFundMe said in the statement. "We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity."

In response, Donald Trump announced that members of the freedom convoy are welcome "with open arms" to communicate "freely" on Truth Social, Trump's proposed social media platform, which is expected to launch at the end of the month [2022-02]. This isn't the first time Trump has voiced support for the trucker convoy. At a rally in Texas last weekend, Trump endorsed the convoy of truckers and supporters in Ottawa, praising the participants for "doing more to defend American freedom than our own leaders by far." "We want those great Canadian truckers to know that we are with them all the way," he told a crowd of supporters in Conroe, Texas.

Thousands of people descended on Ottawa last weekend in trucks and other vehicles for the convoy, with mass gatherings staged on Parliament Hill that have continued at a relatively smaller scale since then. More rallies protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions will get underway Saturday [2022-02-05] in Ottawa with as many as 300 to 400 trucks expected to try and enter the downtown core along with up to 2,000 people on foot and another 1,000 counter-protesters. Toronto, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Regina, Vancouver, and Victoria are expecting protests of their own near their respective provincial legislatures, meanwhile a protest at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta also remains ongoing.

American interest in Freedom Convoy 2020.  Mentions: Donald Trump;  Elon Musk;  Canadian right-wing ideologies [Maxime Bernier,  People's Party of Canada]; ...  [Source]

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Saturday [2022-02-05] it was fraud for GoFundMe to "commandeer" $10 million CAD in donations sent to support the "Freedom Convoy" in Ottawa and that he will investigate what he called "deceptive practices" by GoFundMe. GoFundMe took down the so-called Freedom Convoy's page on Friday [2022-02-04], saying it violated its terms of service. Freedom Convoy said donors had two weeks to request a refund, then remaining funds would be disbursed to "credible and established charities." Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said on Twitter it was fraud for GoFundMe to give the money "to causes of their own choosing," and he would work with Florida Attorney General Ashley Moodyto investigate. "These donors should be given a refund."

GoFundMe did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Ron DeSantis' tweet. In a Twitter post, GoFundMe said on Saturday [2022-02-05] that "due to donor feedback" it was simplifying the process and will be refunding all donations to the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser. "This refund will happen automatically - you do not need to submit a request. Donors can expect to see refunds within 7-10 business days," GoFundMe said in a tweet.

The convoy began as a movement against a vaccine requirement for cross-border truckers, but has turned into a rallying point against public health measures. Protesters have shut down downtown Ottawa for eight days, with some participants waving Confederate flags or Nazi flags and some saying they wanted to dissolve Canada's government. Cities including the financial hub Toronto braced for disruptions on Saturday [2022-02-05] as protests spread from Ottawa, raising fears of clashes with counter-protesters.

Antivaccine-mandate protesters occupying downtown Ottawa can no longer rely on an online platform that raised more than $10 million in donations for them. GoFundMe announced today [2022-02-04] that it has removed the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser from its website. "Following a review of relevant facts and multiple discussions with local law enforcement and city officials, this fundraiser is now in violation of our said that they had received indications that demonstrators had brought weapons to Ottawa.

GoFundMe's action comes a day before supporters of the convoy will be holding demonstrations [2022-02-05] outside media outlets in many cities, including the CTV News affiliate in Vancouver. These protests are being billed as "The Media is the Virus". A convoy of vehicles is expected to descent on Vancouver 2022-02-05 from the Fraser Valley and other areas.

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart has issued a statement declaring that Vancouverites don't want them in his city. "To prepare for this event, I have been briefed by the Vancouver City Manager and the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Emergency Planning and Operational Section (EOPS). EOPS is closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary steps in preparation," Kennedy Stewart said in a statement. "I have full confidence in VPD Chief Constable Adam Palmer and his team who will be directing the response to the Vancouver portion of this protest.

[ ... snip ... ]

Vancouver's two health authorities are urging health-care workers to take defensive measures to avoid clashes with a convoy of anti-vaccination and anti-restriction demonstrators heading toward Vancouver on Saturday [2022-02-05].

Memos obtained by CTV News and sent to staff of Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health hospitals  [Providence Health Care] on Friday afternoon [2022-02-04] make similar suggestions not to engage with the protestors and reminding them that British Columbia now has legislation protecting health-care facilities from being impacted by demonstrations. "As a precaution, we recommend that hospital staff stay inside while the convoy is passing and do not engage with any protestors," wrote Providence Health in a memo, describing the planned route as passing Mount Saint Joseph and St. Paul's hospitals in its jurisdiction. "We acknowledge the right to peacefully and legally protest."

Vancouver Coastal Health, which oversees Vancouver General Hospital, sent a longer memo with similar language to Providence Health Care but with some additional warnings. "Refrain from wearing scrubs and/or your ID badge outside of the hospital during the demonstration" read their memo. "If you do encounter any protestors, please do not engage or respond to their questions. Please do not ask protestors to put on a face mask."

The BC Cancer Agency and the Provincial Health Services Authority also notified staff that with the convoy planned to pass the agency's provincial and corporate offices on West Broadway, they were urging the same precautions as Vancouver General Hospital. The BC Cancer Agency told staff to speak to their manager or supervisor if they have any questions.

The Freedom Convoy 2022 in solidarity with an anti-vaccine mandate occupation of Ottawa comes months after anti-lockdown protests in Vancouver and Kelowna kept patients from being able to access hospital care and fast-tracked legislation to create "bubble zones" around hospitals and vaccination sites.

The convoy through Vancouver comes at a time hospitals are grappling with near-record levels of COVID-19 patients and crippling staffing shortages, due in part to Omicron infections among health-care workers  [SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant].

"We understand that this is beyond disheartening in the face of all that you have been through and the extraordinary work each of you have been doing over the past two years of the pandemic," wrote Vancouver Coastal Health. "We feel it too and we want to express our immense gratitude for your ongoing commitment and dedication to providing the best care to our patients during this very challenging time."

Interim Conservative Party of Canada Leader Candice Bergen pushed predecessor Erin O'Toole to show support for the Freedom Convoy protest, arguing last week there are "good people on both sides," an echo of the phrase made infamous by former U.S. president Donald Trump after a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. Bergen also told O'Toole and other members of the Conservative shadow cabinet that there were "reasonable people" at the truckers' protest, just as there were in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on 2021-01-06  [2021 United States Capitol attack]. Candace Bergen's remarks came during a meeting of the party's priorities and planning committee in a boardroom of Parliament's West Block. Erin O'Toole was present at the meeting but didn't directly respond, according to sources who were present.

Some in attendance were surprised Candace Bergen would evoke the Trump phrase in the context of the truckers' convoy, which had yet to reach Ottawa.

[ ... snip ... ]

Donald Trump's phrase - "very fine people on both sides" - drew heavy criticism when he used it to characterize the Charlottesville protest, where white supremacists marched with torches and Nazi and Confederate flags, chanting anti-Semitic slurs. One counter-protester was killed at Charlottesville.

The Conservative caucus chose Bergen as interim leader Tuesday night [2022-02-01], after voting out Erin O'Toole as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

[ ... snip ... ]

Agent provocateur   Elon Musk has declared Canada's government illegitimate. His evidence? Pictures of lots of angry truckers rolling into Ottawa [Freedom Convoy 2022]. On Sunday [2022-01-30] the world's richest human [2022-02-04:  $239.6 billion USD] told his 63 million Twitter followers, "It would appear that the so-called 'fringe minority' is actually the government" And: "If the government had the mandate of the people, there would be a significant counter-protest. There is not, therefore they do not."

• [CTVNews.ca, 2022-02-17] American Jewish Committee demands Elon Musk apologize for comparing Trudeau to Hitler.  |  Comment: Elon Musk's now deleted tweet, https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1494216634822766594, is available on Internet Archive.  |  local copy

A group representing Black MPs and senators is calling the protest convoy that's been encamped for a week around Parliament Hill a venue for "white supremacists" and other extremists. "The Freedom Convoy protest became an opportunity for white supremacists and others with extreme and disturbing views to parade their odious views in public," the Parliamentary Black Caucus said in a news release Friday. "This is unacceptable. These displays of hatred and violence offend Canadians and have no place in our country." The Parliamentary Black Caucus said the protesters' clear goal is to intimidate politicians and the money raised to support the protest could be used to bankroll "domestic white supremacist terrorism."

[ ... snip ... ]

The Parliamentary Black Caucus also called for a ban on displays of hate symbols such as the Confederate flag - widely used as an emblem of white supremacy. At least one Confederate flag was spotted among the protesters recently and swastikas have been seen in the crowds around Parliament Hill as well. "This is unacceptable. These displays of hatred and violence offend Canadians and have no place in our country," the Parliamentary Black Caucus said. The other co-chair of the Parliamentary Black Caucus, Liberal MP Greg Fergus, received a standing ovation in the House of Commons of Canada Wednesday [2022-02-02] after giving an emotional speech about the harm such symbols cause. NDP MP Peter Julian tabled a private members bill Thursday [2022-02-03] that would outlaw selling or displaying swastikas and other Nazi emblems, Klu Klux Klan symbols and Confederate flags.

Responding to symbols of hate brandished by protesters in Ottawa, MP Greg Fergus tells the Canadian House of Commons why he celebrates Black History Month.  [Source]

The organizers of the "Freedom Convoy" [Freedom Convoy 2022] have indicated they plan to stay in Ottawa until pandemic-related mandates are repealed, but some business owners say the protesters are doing more harm than good. Sarah Chown - managing partner of the downtown restaurant Metropolitain Brasserie, and Ottawa chair of the Ontario Hotel and Motel Association - told CTV News' Your Morning that her restaurant has been closed since the protesters arrived last weekend [2022-01-{29-30}]. "We've essentially been closed since they arrived," Chown said Friday [2022-02-04]. "Unfortunately, our property was completely inaccessible for pickup drivers to come from Uber and DoorDash and other third party services so we weren't even able to operate for takeout on the weekend."

[ ... snip ... ]

Fundraising website GoFundMe has been called to testify at the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security about what safeguards it has in place when it comes to releasing the nearly $10.1M CAD of funds raised for the Freedom Convoy 2022. MPs on the committee voted unanimously on Thursday afternoon [2022-02-03] to invite representatives to appear "as soon as possible." What the elected officials want to hear from the company includes how it plans to ensure that the funds are "not being used to promote extremism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism and other forms of hate, which have been expressed among prominent organizers for the truck convoy currently in Ottawa."

... On Wednesday [2022-02-02], GoFundMe suspended the "Freedom Convoy fundraiser" halting the ability for any further donations to be made while a compliance review takes place. The fundraising site has been working with organizers for several days to provide a clear plan for how the nearly record-setting amount of funds will be allocated. ...

[ ... snip ... ]

GoFundMe has suspended a fundraiser for the "Freedom Convoy 2022" of truckers and supporters who have tied up downtown Ottawa while protesting vaccine mandates. The fundraiser, which is now under review, has currently raised more than $10 million. It's the second time GoFundMe has suspended access to the money. "This fundraiser is currently paused and under review to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations," said a pinned post from GoFundMe at the top of the fundraiser on Wednesday night [2022-02-02]. "Our team is working 24/7 and doing all we can to protect both organizers and donors. Thank you for your patience."

Funds were frozen by GoFundMe the first time in mid-2022-01 when the funds were at $4.5 million. At the time, GoFundMe stated that they needed more detail on how funds would be allocated. Last Thursday [2022-01-27], an initial $1 million was released to the organizers by GoFundMe after they received a plan for the money's distribution to truckers to cover the cost of gas for the Parliament Hill protest. By Tuesday [2022-02-01], as it reached $9.5 million, the fundraiser had been declared the second-largest in Canada, smaller only than the fundraiser created for the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018.

The Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser states in its description that money will go towards paying for the cost of the truckers' journey to Ottawa, including fuel, food and shelter, with leftover funds being given to "a credible Veterans organization which will be chosen by the donors." Although the initial stated goals of the convoy were to protest vaccine mandates that required travellers including truckers to be fully vaccinated in order to cross the U.S. border without quarantining, the protest has expanded to protesting other COVID-19 regulations such as wearing masks.

Ottawa residents and city councillors have called for more to be done to end the convoy's occupation of the city's downtown after days of honking. Some have called for the feds to step in and send the RCMP to get the trucks moving again. Earlier on Wednesday [2022-02-02], city councilor and chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board Diane Deans suggested that Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau get in touch with GoFundMe and convince them to block protesters' access to the millions that had been raised. "They're funding these mercenaries and that funding stream needs to get cut off," Diane Deans said.

As the Freedom Convoy 2022 rolled into Ottawa on Friday afternoon [2022-01-28], Pierre Poilievre stood on a highway overpass to film a promotional video. Speaking directly to the camera, with trucks honking behind him, Poilievre proposed an expansive view of the convoy that went well beyond its nominal goal of protesting the vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers. The protest, Poilievre said, "was not just for truckers, but for the 60 per cent of Canadians who say they worry they can't afford food." It was for "the 60-year-old small businessman who has spent his entire adult life building up an enterprise and watching it wiped out ... the depressed 14-year-old who's been locked out of school" and "the families that can't take it anymore."

In Pierre Poilievre's telling, the convoy represents "the people who want to stand and speak for their freedoms" and "all those that our government and our media have insulted and left behind." "Freedom, not fear," Poilievre concluded. "Truckers, not Trudeau." That video may soon mark the unofficial launching point of a new leadership race for the Conservative Party of Canada. But if Conservatives have hitched their wagon to this convoy, it remains to be seen where it will take them.

By Monday morning [2022-01-31], even Pierre Poilievre felt the need to state that his embrace of the movement did not extend to all of its members. Erin O'Toole - still officially the leader of the Conservative Party - did so on Saturday night [2022-01-29]. "People flying evil confederate or Nazi flags or disrespecting monuments are individually responsible for reprehensible acts," Poilievre tweeted. "They do not represent the thousands of lawful truckers who are actually part of the protest and are peacefully championing their livelihoods & freedoms."

But the troubles have not been limited to a few flags. Maskless individuals forced the Rideau Mall in downtown Ottawa to close. Operators of a downtown homeless shelter said some protesters showed up at their door, demanded to be fed and harassed the staff; the shelter's CEO said one of their clients was assaulted. Rocks reportedly were hurled at an ambulance. The "Fuck Trudeau" flags are everywhere. The traffic disruption forced a vaccine clinic and a school to close. Ottawa residents have reported being harassed.

But there were warning signs even before the convoy arrived in Ottawa - such as the views expressed in the past by its organizers. The stated purpose of the convoy was to deliver a "memorandum of understanding" effectively calling for the undemocratic overthrow of the federal government so that all vaccine-related restrictions in Canada might be lifted. One organizer told an interviewer last week that the prime minister is a "criminal."

Conspiracy theories

It also isn't obvious that the convoy represents more than a minority of truckers in Canada. If Conservatives now have to carefully parse this protest to explain precisely which elements they agree with and which they renounce, their flirtation with the convoy echoes the Conservative Party's brush with the United We Roll protest in 2019  ["United We Roll" Truck Convoy of 2019]. That movement - nominally about the plight of the oil and gas industry - became associated with anti-immigrant sentiments and conspiracy theories about a global pact on migration  [Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration].

Pierre Poilievre - who also played footsie with " great reset conspiracy theorists" in 2020 - posted his overpass video with the hashtag #FreedomOverFear. In a subsequent video, Pierre Poilievre was recorded telling a small group of protesters that "governments have taken advantage of COVID to try and take away our freedom and give themselves more power." Poilievre knows that public health restrictions on businesses and schools are the responsibility of provincial governments. Poilievre knows that most of those provincial governments are run by ideological cousins of the Conservative Party of Canada. But Poilievre's call for "freedom" over "fear" is another enigmatic bit of alliteration from a politician who has described the trucker mandate as a "vaccine vendetta."

Living in total freedom might be preferable to living in fear, but in the context of a pandemic the notion that freedom should come before fear might suggest that individualism should matter more than public health. Many Canadians - not least the medically vulnerable and immunocompromised - would no doubt like to live without the fear of a potentially deadly virus or overcrowded hospitals, and believe that vaccination and restrictions on the unvaccinated are the only way they can be free to do so. An overwhelming majority of Canadians, along with the citizens of nearly every country on Earth, might be tired and frustrated right now - but they might not share Pierre Poilievre's view of who and what is to blame.

Riding a wave of rage

Whatever spirit - or anger - the convoy is carrying, Conservatives seem keen to capture some of it without taking responsibility for everything about the protest. They may see some of their own supporters in the crowd. They may fear that if the Conservative Party of Canada doesn't co-opt the convoy's energy, the People's Party of Canada will. After making a great deal of noise, the convoy might fade away. Even Conservatives eventually might feel compelled to tell the protesters to go home.

But Amarnath Amarasingam - an Assistant Professor in the School of Religion  [local copy] at Queen's University, and a Senior Fellow with the The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence  [biography: Amarnath Amarasingam  |  personal website: Amarnath Amarasingam  |  local copy] - suggested this weekend that the convoy could become something like the Tea Party movement in the United States  [Tea Party movement]. In that case [Tea Party movement], what began as a loud protest against President Barack Obama ultimately became a driving force in the modern Republican Party  [Republican Party].

It's far too early to say that's what the Freedom Convoy 2022 might become - or even to guess at where this might be headed. But once you've hitched yourself to a moving truck, it can be hard to jump off. And if a Conservative Party leadership race is about to start, a crowd of motivated and aggrieved citizens might look like a lucrative constituency to court.

Crowd-sourced donations platform GoFundMe confirmed that the "Freedom Convoy fundraiser" - which has attracted pledges in excess of $9.5 million CAD - is GoFundMe's second-largest ever fundraiser in Canada. GoFundMe said in a statement to media on Monday [2022-01-31] that the fundraiser is its second-largest ever in Canada, only exceeded by the fundraiser created for the Humboldt Broncos in the aftermath of a highway crash  [Humboldt Broncos bus crash] that devastated the hockey team in Saskatchewan in 2018. Questions about how the money will be used and dispersed were a factor in GoFundMe temporarily freezing the fundraiser until organizers presented their spending plans to the platform.

An initial $1 million has since been released to Freedom Convoy 2022 organizers, as GoFundMe continues to work with them to determine where and how the money will be dispersed. "The trust and safety of our global community is our top priority. That is why we're following our standard verification process and working directly with the campaign organizer to ensure the funds are distributed as stated by the organizer and in compliance with the law and our Terms of Service," the statement from a GoFundMe spokesperson said. "Our goal is to protect the generosity of donors and ensure that all donations go to those intended. As part of our verification process, we require full transparency from the organizer about the flow of funds to ensure there's a clear plan and donors are informed on how the funds will be spent."

Canadians Give Back

In Ottawa, donations have poured in for the Shepherds of Good Hope shelter - which works with vulnerable populations in Ottawa experiencing homelessness - after an incident on Saturday [2022-01-29] involving Freedom Convoy 2022 protesters who disrupted the soup kitchen to demand meals, hurled racist slurs at a security guard, and attacked a client. Since then, Canadians have sent so many food donations that the shelter has reached their storage capacity and cannot accept more, according to a statement posted on Twitter. "We are in excellent shape for the near future," the statement reads. "At this time we have received more than 10,000 individual donations... the incidents this weekend were unfortunate, but have allowed us to share the work we do with all of you."

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After a very challenging few days, we just want to say a big thank you. Please note we are at capacity for food donations and don't have room for any more.

Thank you to everyone who has supported people experiencing homelessness. Your generosity warms our hearts. pic.twitter.com/f2q6r29st8

-- Shepherds of Good Hope (@sghottawa) 2022-01-31

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The Terry Fox Foundation has also seen an influx of donations, as noted in remarks delivered by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Monday, after protesters sparked widespread condemnation for draping Terry Fox's statue in flags and anti-mandate placards. CTV News reached out to the Terry Fox Foundation to get specifics on recent donations, but did not hear back by time of publication [2022-02-01].

The lead spokesperson for the anti-vaccine convoy protests that have shut down Canada's national capital says he is okay with protesters flying Confederate flags in Ottawa because he wants to hear "unacceptable opinions."

Benjamin Dichter, a failed candidate for both the Conservative Party  [Conservative Party of Canada] and People's Party  [People's Party of Canada], participated in a Twitter Space discussion with a pair of highly controversial former Rebel Media personalities - Keean Bexte, and Lauren Southern  [Wikipedia: Lauren Southern].

During a Twitter Space chat hosted by Keean Bexte, Benjamin Dichter was asked about photos circulating of hate symbols at the Freedom Convoy 2022, including multiple Confederate flags and flags displaying Nazi swastikas. While Dichter claimed the swastika was a false flag operation carried out by the federal government, he did not condemn the Confederate flag. "I was laughing at the ridiculousness. It's hysterical," the convoy organizer said. "They're trying to scare people because fear is the strongest emotion of persuasion." "Let's assume there were guys there who did have a Confederate flag. They believe in the confederacy of states rights in a foreign nation? I don't care. I'm not here to police people's ideas." Referencing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's claims that the convoy includes far-right extremists with "unacceptable opinions", Dichter suggested displaying the Confederate Flag, a symbol associated with support for slavery, could be a good thing: "I want to hear unacceptable opinions because I want to challenge them."

At no point during the half-hour conversation with Keean Bexte and Lauren Southern did Benjamin Dichter challenge the legitimacy of the Confederate flag - a symbol of support for slavery.


[Source]

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, who has faced criticism over the City's response after drunken protesters desecrated the National War Memorial  [National War Memorial] and were allowed to camp out on city streets, criticized organizers for failing to control their own supporters. "The organizers have not once (condemned) anti-Semitism with the Nazi symbol or Confederate flags," Jim Watson said. "They should be ashamed of themselves and, at the end of the day, they're not getting any public support - it's dwindling frankly."

Multiple flags bearing Nazi swastikas were spotted over the weekend. Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament Michael Cooper is facing calls to resign after appearing in a TV interview in support of the rally as a swastika appeared over his shoulder.


Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament Michael Cooper is facing calls to resign after appearing in a TV interview in support of the rally as a swastika appeared over his shoulder.  [Source]

[CBC.ca, 2022-01-30] Edmonton-area MP under fire for photo of him near flag bearing Nazi symbol.  Michael Cooper has distanced himself from the symbol after criticism from 2 mayors. Cooper attended the protest on Saturday [2022-01-29], telling a CBC interviewer that he disagreed with the federal vaccine mandate for truck drivers crossing the U.S. border.

Benjamin Dichter told Keean Bexte and Lauren Southern it was unfortunate MPs no longer want to be seen with the Freedom Convoy 2022. "The weasels got to work and they're all cowards," the convoy organizer said. "A big scary truck? They can't be around that." Dichter also indicated that the convoy's anti-vaccine protesters are preparing plans to occupy downtown Ottawa for many days. "I imagine they're going to do something to try and get us to disperse," Dichter continued. "And if they do? That's ok because we have plan A, plan B, Plan C, plan D - this will go on for a while." "The good thing about trucks is they have this wonderful thing - they're very self sufficient and they have a house attached to them," the convoy organizer explained, "It can sit there and idle for a week easily. So we have staying power. Things are in flux and they're fluid, we have a bunch of different strategies that we don't really want out in public because we want to see how the government is going to respond."

Local officials, as well, have faced criticism for being too accommodating to convoy protesters, a number of whom were spotted flying Nazi Swastikas flags, confederate flags, a flag associated with the Three Percenter terrorist group  [Three Percenters] and other hate symbols. On Monday [2022-01-31], Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, for example, warned against ticketing the convoy protesters as it could incite them to violence.

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network notes that Benjamin Dichter - during a failed run as candidate for the People's Party of Canada - claimed at a press conference that "Islamist entryism" is "rotting away at our society like syphilis." On Facebook, Dichter has been linked to several posts from the anti-Muslim conspiracy page "Crusade Against Islamisation of The World." On Twitter Dichter has shared conspiratorial posts - some from JihadWatch.org, and others regarding Jewish billionaire George Soros - a common trope on the far-right. In one tweet, Dichter - who says he is Jewish - wrote that billionaire George Soros "is the enemy not only of Jews around the world but of all western democracies."

Several Conservative MPs, including leader Erin O'Toole, have taken part in demonstrations linked to the anti-vaccine "Freedom Convoy" despite warnings that far-right and extremist groups were helping organize the demonstrations. Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer was photographed with one convoy organizer, Pat King - previously linked to a violent attack on anti-racist demonstrators and calls for further violence against COVID-19 health precautions [Patrick King  [Patrick James King,  Red Deer, Alberta  |  Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta v. Patrick James King].

The Canadian truckers' "freedom convoy" [Freedom Convoy 2022] to Ottawa has the markings of another protest at a nation's capital. On 2021-01-06, people from across the United States staged a protest in Washington, D.C., that quickly turned into a violent siege of the U.S. Capitol building  [2021 United States Capitol attack]. They were angry over what they falsely viewed as an election "stolen" from outgoing president Donald Trump.

The Canadian protesters seem to be emulating some of the behaviour of their U.S. counterparts, desecrating public monuments and bullying homeless shelters into feeding them. The Rideau Centre - a shopping center - has been forced to close due to protesters refusing to wear face masks inside. Some have flown the Confederate flag and the swastika, symbols of hate and white supremacy  [white supremacy] that were also seen at the U.S. raid of the Capitol. Journalists have been shoved, spit on and accosted along the convoy's path.

Donald Trump has nothing directly to do with Canadian truck drivers and their supporters who oppose government vaccine mandates. However Trump's angry rhetoric of being victimized by an untrustworthy elite is similar to the sentiments fuelling the grievances of Canada's protesters. Trump even endorsed the Freedom Convoy 2022 participants as "doing more to defend American freedom than our own leaders."

Responses from Canadian leaders

Canadian leaders, on the other hand, took diametrically different positions as the convoy made its weeklong journey from British Columbia to Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau labelled the convoy a "small fringe minority of people ... holding unacceptable views do not represent the views of Canadians." For the most part, Trudeau remained quiet as the convoy travelled across the country, and was moved to a safe, undisclosed location as the protesters arrived in Ottawa.

Erin O'Toole, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, saw the convoy as an opportunity to burnish his credentials as a leader who listens and cares. Erin O'Toole apparently wants to tap into the anger that the protesters have over vaccine mandates. O'Toole seemingly believes that resentment over pandemic lockdown measures - most of them implemented at the provincial level and now in place for almost two years - is wider and deeper than generally realized. Tapping into a sentiment that extends beyond the few thousand protesters, or even beyond the unvaccinated, allows him to differentiate himself from the Liberal Party of Canada. Tellingly, O'Toole referred to truckers as "our neighbours, our family, and most importantly, they are our fellow Canadians." By meeting with some of the truckers, O'Toole is now associated with the convoy and its messages. Given the fact that the vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated and are largely in favour of vaccine mandates, this is a gamble for a politician seeking to become the next prime minister.

There will undoubtedly be attack ads from opposition parties in the next election - assuming O'Toole remains leader of the Conservatives, now in doubt due to a challenge to his leadership - that feature footage of Erin O'Toole defending and supporting the convoy protesters spliced with images of the defaced Terry Fox statue, the War Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Provincial premiers of all stripes, in the meantime, have mostly been silent throughout the convoy, happy to leave the spotlight on federal politicians. The premiers likely have no interest in reminding citizens that most vaccine and mask mandates, school closures and lockdowns are the work of provincial governments, not Ottawa.

Liberal missteps

For Justin Trudeau and the Liberals, the trucker convoy is a warning sign they will need to heed. The vaccination mandate for truckers was bungled in its implementation and communication strategy. Due to bureaucratic missteps, it seemed that at the last minute, the federal government would not implement the vaccine mandate. This sent observers the message that the government was divided on how to proceed, especially given the warnings from the trucking industry of supply chain disruptions.

Before the truckers' mandate took effect, the Liberals might have put a task force in place to monitor its impact on the industry and individual truckers. Alternatively, Ottawa could have provided aid to allow truckers and trucking companies to shift unvaccinated drivers from international to national routes. It also could have spent more time explaining the mandate, including its temporary nature and that the United States has the same rules, requiring truck drivers crossing the Canada-U.S. border to be fully vaccinated. Instead, the Liberals assumed that the mandates would not be controversial especially given the high vaccination rate of the population as a whole. The Liberals also presumed that with nearly 90 per cent of truck drivers already vaccinated, any impact or opposition would be minimal.

Portrayed as heartless

The peril for Trudeau is that this rally might set a precedent for similar ones in the future. If so, his government will increasingly be portrayed as heartless by his political opponents. In fact, O'Toole is seeking to craft the perception of an uncaring and out-of-touch prime minister. The legacy of the freedom rally will not be clear for some time. However, Canadians can be relieved that, unlike many protests south of the border - including the raid on the Capitol a year ago - widespread violence did not erupt at the rally, although police are investigating threatening behaviour toward officers, city workers and other individuals. That could be testament to Canada's political culture that favours co-operation, tradition and respect for authority, in contrast to the strong distrust of the state that runs deep in American politics. Nonetheless, when the protesters head home, governments in Ottawa and the provinces will be keen to avoid similar events. Experiences with angry public demonstrations in both Washington, D.C., and around the world show protest movements are unpredictable, volatile and can have lasting consequences.

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