“Freedom Convoy” heads to Ottawa
News about the truckers’ protest is unavoidable as the “freedom convoy” heads to Ottawa. What started as a protest against a vaccination mandate at the border seems to have taken on a bigger, nastier populist tone. Ottawa is battening down the hatches as it braces for something that might be a joke, or might be our own version of January 6, 2021 at the U.S. capitol. A lot of the donations for the convoy came from anonymous donors (how much money does a protest need?).
Very good look at the story, and the opportunistic supporters of this “freedom” convoy, by Justin Ling.
Here’s a level-headed argument against reopening things too quickly. Quebec’s new health director is in agreement.
Emily 19:30 on 2022-01-28 Permalink
It’s disturbing that white supremacists organized and fundraised for the convoy. So it’s white supremacy and racism behind this convoy. At the root, it’s not even about freedom, though some well-meaning people think it is.
YUL514 19:39 on 2022-01-28 Permalink
I had to head to the West Island at around 1PM, there were clowns on the overpasses from Cavendish to St Jean. Each overpass crowd got my middle finger salute. There was barely any honking and I saw one trucker with an anti Trudeau/Legault message.
St John overpass had quite a crowd when I had to head back home. Cops and Pt Claire security were on hand to make sure the crowd didn’t go onto the street. They pretty much closed off the right lane as a safely precaution. I didn’t hear a single car honking that was on St Jean and driving by the overpass. They protesters were carrying their typical silly signs.
Phil from Frelighsberg 19:56 on 2022-01-28 Permalink
Democracy needs to return to Canada now, rather than the longstanding, ongoing rule-by-decree that has led to the arbitrary and illogcal suspension of many basic human rights. This massive grassroots protest represents a much-needed initiative to restore our normal lives. Lots of good people putting love, hope and dedication into this. We all need to stand behind it.
Kevin 20:18 on 2022-01-28 Permalink
We had a federal election FOUR MONTHS AGO.
The people chose this.
Accept the results even if you don’t like them, otherwise you are not interested in democracy.
Phil from Frelighsberg 20:22 on 2022-01-28 Permalink
We didn’t elect a dictator to rule by decree. An election is only a small fragment of the democratic process. Think before you type Kevin.
Kate 20:44 on 2022-01-28 Permalink
Phil, I don’t think you understand the first thing about rights and democracy – you’ve just imbibed the extremist Kool-aid. You’re not thinking things through. No rights have been infringed. The federal government has only instituted temporary pandemic rules in response to necessity.
And don’t order my people around.
Kevin 21:52 on 2022-01-28 Permalink
Phil,
The protesters are asking the Senate and the Governor General to overthrow the House of Commons and rescind pandemic restrictions imposed by individual provinces and by the United States. The protest is being organized by a bunch of bigoted grifters who are taking people of angry, scared people who have been negatively affected by the pandemic.
Democracy is letting them have a say and allowing them to protest, day after day, as they go across the entire country.
But it does not mean that anyone has to *act* on their demands which are, to be frank, divorced from reality, impossible to implement, and would actually end up with healthcare and supply chains in a worse state.
dhomas 22:10 on 2022-01-28 Permalink
The “protestors” were out east, as well. I saw them on the overpass on the 25 at Yves-Prévost as well as the overpasses on the 40 around Langelier and again at Lacordaire. Not very much support via honking was heard. One trucker honked at me when he saw me give a prolonged one-finger salute to the jokers on the overpass. For some reason, there were US flags and Trump flags involved. I got to see the police helicopter up close in real life for the first time.
If they plan to make this into “Canada’s January 6th” (do they realize how that turned out for those folks in the US?), I really hope Trudeau channels his father’s attitude and smacks them down with military action. He’s agreed to talk to them first, which is great, diplomacy first and all. But if diplomacy fails… Fuck around and find out.
YUL514 22:49 on 2022-01-28 Permalink
“My rights have been infringed.” that and my other favourite, “they want to control us” get thrown around a lot. Every time I ask them why and how they’re controlling us, their only answer is, “you’re blind if you can’t see it”
Government wants nothing more than having us working and collecting taxes from us.
walkerp 00:13 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Look, we got ourselves a real troll!
I have yet to see the real numbers, but it seems like it’s actually pretty small and yet being heavily amplified by the CBC. I don’t have the stomach to check the other big networks but I suspect it is the same. One of the most worrying trends of this growing brainwashed nationalism is how the media in the big political centers feels this insecure need to bend over backwards to cover these fringe groups. The CBC website today’s top 7 stories were about these losers.
I grew up in a small town in the west and know this brand of stupid resentment well. It’s just on steroids now with the internet. I wonder how the francophones who support these shitbirds would feel if they knew that they hate Quebec and french Canadians the same way they hate Trudeau and the Liberals. I suspect the tolerance and sympathy the decision-makers at the CBC seem to be trying to show for these people would evaporate fast if they actually had to spend a week living with them.
“Good people” my ass. I can remember all to well the way these “good people” treated the Indigenous community in my town or the one African exchange student. And what do you think the Mounties would be doing if a convoy of First Nations came driving into Ottawa and blocked off the road.
Phil from Frelighsberg 00:55 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Hating on the people who are fighting for everybody’s freedom is a pretty untenable position to rally around.
Must be terrifying to think that the working-class citizens of this country can have a voice.
Guess the government and enlightened liberals consider themselves entitled to talk down and hush others up. Lovely to see them havfe their day in the sun, with or without your blessings. Very exciting moment for freedom in Canada.
dwgs 01:09 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Read the room Phil, you’re not likely to make any converts here. Thanks for stopping by, I’ll get your hat.
Phil from Frelighsberg 01:21 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Funny how Justin Trudeau disappeared after abusing his people like a crazed Romanian dictator.
Poor terrified kid is probably peeking up from under a manhole cover, texting his undercover RCMP false flag agents every five minutes.
The price you pay for playing dictator.
Chris 01:46 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Emily, what’s your source on that white supremacist funding claim? I don’t see anything about it in the funding article Kate linked.
Kevin, re: your first post, does that apply to say climate change protesters too? The people chose this government and its pitiful climate action, so just accept it even if you don’t like it?
>it’s actually pretty small and yet being heavily amplified by the CBC
I’ve noticed that too. Other media too. It generates “engagement”, ad revenue, etc. Donations are probably up too for both proponent and opponent groups, as it gets everyone nice and riled up.
It’s also interesting to compare how both the media and people generally treat this protest compared with say the BLM protests, and how treatment is proportional to whether the commentator agrees or disagrees with the protesters.
SMD 08:30 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Chris, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network has been keeping tabs on the organizers for a while and has documented their disturbing public statements: https://www.antihate.ca/the_freedom_convoy_is_nothing_but_a_vehicle_for_the_far_right.
John B 09:02 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Of all places, the National Post talks about the actual numbers.
If I put another link I’ll get stuck in moderation, but one of the CBC articles talks to an anti-mandate guy from one of the Saskatchewan trucking associations, who says so many racist / far-right elements have attached themselves to the convoy that it can no longer be legitimately supported.
js 09:50 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
I wonder if any truckers were able to hook up transport gigs so that they’d be schlepping stuff while convoying. Or if they’ll be able to claim their gasoline tax credits “earned” as they needlessly pollute their way across the country.
Tim S. 10:25 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
I do get a kick out of the Justin Trudeau dictator claims. I’m no fan of the guy, but it takes a certain perspective to criticize him on the grounds that the federal government has done too much over the past two years. It’s an interesting litmus test to see if people are actually paying attention or just reacting to whatever lines are going around online.
Kate 10:58 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
John B, do you have a link to that article?
Joey 11:18 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
@Chris a quick skim of this should do it: https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvnd34/mps-told-to-hide-from-anti-vaxxer-trucker-convoy-by-parliament-security-chief
Most significant difference between this clown show and January 6 is the police have been instructed to keep things calm, not to stay home or quietly join the assholes.
Meezly 11:34 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
A simple google search with keywords “freedom convoy” and “far right” should also do it.
I know someone, a tarot reader in the west coast, who refuses to be vaccinated and who’s supporting the Freedom Convoy in an IG post. She also added a Gandhi quote on how civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when a government is lawless and corrupt, not seeing the irony at all in supporting a cause that’s been hijacked by white supremacists and the far right. It’s worrisome.
I can’t get over this weird overlap between lefty New Agers and extremist right wingers when it comes to individual freedoms.
I’m not close with her, and not sure how I’d engage with her to explain that supporting the convoy at this point is morally questionable. If anyone has any suggestions, would appreciate it.
Meezly 11:36 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Another friend who works in broadcast news also just informed me how news crews were berated, spat on, pushed, and vehicles smashed in the Toronto area.
maggie rose 12:04 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Meezly, these weird overlaps between anti-vax, anti-science and wellness groups and other ‘new age’ groups has been explored in a bunch of articles in The Guardian for a few years. I just did a duckduckgo search with the terms ‘the guardian wellness movement anti-vaccine’ and found half a dozen. A distrust of traditional institutions is common ground.
I started getting emails in this vein from an old friend about a year back. She won’t take the Covid vaccines and I know it’s futile to talk about it with her. We talk around it the few times I’ve talked with her recently. She seems to attribute my Long Covid symptoms to the vaccine, even though they started before one existed.
Kevin 12:54 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Phil,
I believe I stumbled across your real identity last night while on Twitter and so I am truly puzzled by your comments.
You know scam artists, con men, and grifters better than anyone else, so how can you look at the organizers of this protest and nod along?
Any other group that raised millions from anonymous donors and you’d be jumping to figure out which crooks were laundering money. Now? You sound like someone who would laugh at people who are in iron lungs because of a previous pandemic.
Kevin 12:58 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Chris
I would say the same about any group that marches into Ottawa demanding the Senate and the Governor General dissolve parliament and replace it with a committee of protestors.
Kate 12:59 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Chris: read the article by Justin Ling which I added later to the post.
Meezly 15:45 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Thanks @Maggie rose. Will look into those articles in more depth when I have time, as it’s phenomenon I’d like to understand more.
I ended up just commenting how sad it is that this movement got coopted by the far right which I think is a neutral enough thing to say without hopefully getting anyone’s back up.
John B 15:50 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
@Kate – I can’t find it. It looks like it’s been buried in the many new articles today or been edited out. I thought it may have been this one about how the protest is illogical but I’m not sure, and it’s not there anymore.
Kate 16:13 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
Thanks for looking, John B. If you ever want to post a comment with more than one link, don’t hesitate to nudge me via my blog email to approve the item and let it through.
walkerp 16:20 on 2022-01-29 Permalink
I also question that the people participating in this are “working class”. I bet if you could do a study on the demo of most of the participants, you would find a very similar relative income level to the DC rioters who tended to be upper middle class business owners. You’ve got maybe a few hundred actual truck drivers (and the ones who are doing well enough to own their own trucks) and who else who has the time, money and freedom to take off a week from their jobs.
I would also point out that it’s easy to yell and spit at people working in the media who you know can’t retaliate because they risk their own job. A lot of keyboard courage among this gang of winners. I’d like to see how they would react in the face of real oppression.
What’s profoundly disturbing about these losers and the coverage they are getting is that this kind of media impact is what we should be seeing in support of real action against climate change. Instead, we see a fat, wealthy society that has a temper tantrum at the slightest reduction of their ability to consume. Does not bode well for our future. How will these babies react when governments have to make tough decisions in the face of climate disasters?