‘Freedom Convoy’ Protests Latest In Pushbacks Against COVID Regulations, Mandates

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Freedom Convoy, Vaccine Regulations Overview:

• Who: A group of truckers drove a convoy across Canada to protest what they say are overly restrictive pandemic regulations.
• Why: The truckers protested the fact they must be vaccinated to re-enter Canada when traveling cross-country. People joined the convoy to protest other more general pandemic restrictions and turned violent at times, the government said.
• Where: The protestors headed to Ottawa from the east and west parts of the country and also protested in Toronto.

A movement that started as a convoy of Canadian truckers protesting vaccination requirements culminated in a protest of about 8,000 people in Ottawa over the weekend, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has criticized for its racism and violence.  

The loosely organized “Freedom Convoy” initially began as a response to a regulation requiring truckers returning from the United States to show proof of vaccination.

“You want to be vaccinated, go ahead, your choice,” Ottawa truck driver Mike Fabinski told Global News. “I don’t want to be vaccinated, that’s my choice,” he said, explaining that the vaccine mandate meant he wasn’t able to work cross-border routes any more.

The convoy was advertised on Facebook last week and asked truckers and supportive protesters to head to Ottawa from east and west parts of the country, as well as from southern Ontario, to protest.

But as the movement grew, it turned into a more general rallying cry by people opposed to pandemic restrictions and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Police Reported Monument Desecration, Other Threatening Behavior During the Protests 

The protesters descended on Canada’s capital Saturday, while the House of Commons was not in session. However, demonstrations still dominated social media and the news cycle in Canada. 

Ottawa police told the New York Times Monday that 8,000 protesters had been in downtown Ottawa on Saturday. They also said they had begun several criminal investigations following the desecration of monuments and other threatening behavior during the weekend protests.

According to reports, some protesters flew racist flags, hurled abuse at small business owners, spread disinformation, and went to a homeless shelter in downtown Ottawa to demand food.

“There is no place in our country for threats, violence or hatred,” Trudeau said. 

The prime minister, who currently has COVID-19, said 90 percent of Canadian truckers are vaccinated, and that the demonstrators did not represent the majority. He added that they would not lead his government to reverse the vaccine mandate.

Some Canadians Push Back Against Pandemic Restrictions With Lawsuits

While more than 77% of Canadians are vaccinated, as in much of the rest of the world, many Canadians are suffering pandemic exhaustion. 

As a result, some people are pushing back against pandemic lockdowns and restrictions with class actions and motions for injunctions. 

In Oct. 2021, Canadian National Railway workers hit back against the company’s vaccine mandate, sending their employer a letter threatening class action if it persisted with its vaccine policy. 

In Sept. 2021, a socially conservative legal advocacy organization argued that Elections Canada could be violating individuals’ right to vote by requiring they wear a mask to the polls to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In May 2021, seven rural churches filed a class action lawsuit against the Manitoba government protesting ongoing COVID-19 measures that have impacted religious gatherings.  

Also in May, a group of ombudsmen from across Canada warned premiers and other officials of the legal risks associated with requiring people to show vaccine passports or other proof of vaccination to access services.

In Aug. 2020, the City of Edmonton was the target of a $565 million lawsuit over its temporary mandatory mask bylaw, while the group Vaccine Choice Canada filed a 190-page lawsuit challenging the Canadian government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What do you think of the current pandemic restrictions in Canada? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

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