The truckers’ protests against vaccine mandates are gaining steam. The “Convoy to D.C.” is beginning to seize momentum, as my PJ Media colleague Rick Moran wrote about earlier today, and they have incredible inspiration in the example of our freedom-loving trucker neighbors up in Canada.
A convoy of truckers caravaned across Canada, and ordinary Canadians joined in as the protest reached Parliament Hill in Canada’s capital of Ottawa. For the most part, the Freedom Convoy and related protests have been exuberant and positive, and there has been little untoward behavior, save for some yahoos disrespecting a veterans’ monument. Heck, members of this group have even fed homeless people in Ottawa!
That, of course, hasn’t stopped Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from comparing the protesters to Nazis and racists, and it hasn’t prevented left-leaning publications in Canada and the U.S. from writing articles and editorials that demean the truckers and misrepresent the protests.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounces the few individuals who displayed "Nazi symbolism and racist imagery" during this weekend's Freedom Convoy protest.
MORE: https://t.co/DEN7zzSz9G pic.twitter.com/VXOMnRKOXB
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 31, 2022
Photos of the convoy and the demonstration on Parliament Hill show patriotism, a commitment to freedom, and the view that everyday Canadians rightly consider these truckers as heroes. They also show the groundswell of support that the truckers have received.
Full disclosure: I’ve always had an affinity for the trucking industry. My dad was a trucker when I was young, and my grandfather on my mom’s side was an executive at a trucking company (which is how my parents met). So I’m an unabashed supporter of these truckers who are speaking out in favor of freedom.
Related: Cross-Border Trucking Firms Have Mixed Reactions to New Vax Mandate
And mercy sakes alive, it looks like they’re just getting started. Nate Tabak, a journalist for FreightWaves, a website that covers the trucking industry, commented that “A lot of folks say they are digging in for the long haul.”
The Canadian truckers said they have stocked up on fuel and food and are planning on protesting until all mandates have been lifted.
— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) January 31, 2022
Freedom Convoy 2022 has raised an astonishing amount of money. As of this writing, donors have given $10,035,700 Canadian (which exchanges to $7,914,253.38 USD) via GoFundMe. One donor even forked over $30,000! Conservative Canadian journalist Keean Bexte noted just how well-funded the truckers are.
Update: GoFundMe has placed the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser “under review.” The following message appears on the fundraiser’s page:
This fundraiser is currently paused and under review to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations. Our team is working 24/7 and doing all we can to protect both organizers and donors. Thank you for your patience.
NEW: Convoy organizers say that they have enough funds to keep trucks on Parliament Hill for 2 to 4 years.
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) January 30, 2022
One member of Ottawa’s city council mused on Twitter about starting court proceedings to seize the Freedom Convoy’s funds to pay for the costs of policing during the protest. That council member has since set his Twitter account to private.
Here’s a fun contrast. Fox News looked into how the money that the Freedom Convoy has raised compares to what Canadian political parties have raked in:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s reigning Liberal Party of Canada raked in $3.7 million during the last quarter of 2021, according to public records with Elections Canada. The opposing Conservative Party of Canada collected a little more than $3 million during the same period.
Among the other parties represented in the Canadian House of Commons, the New Democratic Party raised $1.8 million, the Green Party of Canada raised about $800,000, and Bloc Québécois raised a little more than $150,000.
American truckers have joined in with the Freedom Convoy (ahead of the U.S. version). Tabak interviewed one trucker who has joint citizenship in the U.S. and Canada.
“We’re here to join a movement,” said Mahadeo, 30, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen who regularly moves freight in both countries. “We need to end these restrictions once and for all.”
Mahadeo is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so the mandates at the border haven’t affected his job. He continues to move auto parts back and forth between the countries.
But the long-haul trucker — who considers both countries his home — believes more is going on behind the vaccination requirements.
“There is a whole lot of overreach of the government, certainly in the U.S. and Canada and around the world,” said Mahadeo, who was born in Guyana. “Governments are using this as an opportunity to gain more leverage against the people.”
Not everybody is thrilled with the protests. Check out this guy who’s quite angry at the truckers in Ottawa.
Language warning:
WATCH: Man in Ottawa melts down over the honking from the freedom convoy.
“I haven’t slept in five days!”#TruckersConvoy2022
pic.twitter.com/X2TjrtlhF3— Election Wizard 🏁 (@ElectionWiz) February 2, 2022
My favorite line in that video: “The honking will continue until freedom improves.”
The Freedom Convoy may need to save some of the money they’ve raised to help their fellow protesters further west. Tabak reports on how Mounties are intervening in a protest in Alberta:
Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers have begun an enforcement action targeting a blockade of commercial trucks and other vehicles at the U.S.-Canada border in Coutts, Alberta, that have been protesting COVID-19 restrictions since Saturday.
RCMP said it took the action after failing to reach an agreement with the protesters, warning that those who remain could face arrest.
The RCMP issued a statement, that read in part:
What may have begun as a peaceful assembly quickly turned into an unlawful blockade. While the Alberta RCMP has been in a position to conduct enforcement, we have been engaged with protesters at the Coutts border crossing in an effort to find a peaceful and safe resolution for all involved. We thought we had a path to resolution, the protesters eventually chose not to comply.
As of this morning, further action is being taken by the Alberta RCMP as this blockade continues to impede the ability for emergency agencies to provide full services to area residents. It has also negatively impacted the flow of goods and services, and impedes the public’s freedom of movement.
Needless to say, not all of the protests are going as planned. But what started as a convoy within one sector of the Canadian economy is turning into a national movement advocating for freedom. It’s enough to warm your heart, even in the cold Canadian winter.
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