The Truckers for Freedom Convoy has reached Ottawa as tens of thousands gathered in front of the Parliament Buildings to call for an immediate end to COVID-19 restrictions and for a return of fundamental freedoms in Canada. Many thousands more are expected as the day continues.
Beginning in Western Canada on Sunday, the convoy was joined by tens of thousands of truck drivers as it made its way towards the nation’s capital, with separate contingents arriving from Southern Ontario, Eastern Canada and even the US.
All along the convoy’s route, in small towns and in cities, supporters lined the streets to cheer on the drivers and raise their voices in support of freedom.
Trucks began to pour into the capital on Friday and continued arriving well into Saturday morning with speeches and demonstrations planned throughout the weekend.
Police were spotted on the ground managing the roads and directing traffic. Those who want to join the protest are being asked to park on Wellington Street, in front of Parliament Hill.
The loud noise of air horns and honking joined with cheers as supporters hoisted signs critical of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and nation-wide lockdowns.
Legacy media outlets have attempted to portray the peaceful protestors as extremists and have even made comparisons to the Jan. 6 US Capitol riot. Media reports have relied on cherry-picked comments from messaging apps and so-called “anti-hate experts” who profit off of maligning the freedom movement as far-right.
One CBC reporter who originally claimed he’d received hateful texts from a convoy organizer later admitted the messages had come from an unknown number.
Convoy organizers and supporters have stated that anybody with radical views is not welcome to participate, and those found to be causing disruptions will be asked to leave or be reported to law enforcement.
Prior to the convoy reaching Ottawa, Trudeau went into self-isolation after supposedly being in contact with somebody who has COVID-19. Despite not showing any symptoms and receiving a negative rapid test, he has since been moved from Rideau Cottage to an undisclosed location over “security concerns.”
Eyes around the world are on the Canadian freedom movement as a number of international figures including Elon Musk, Joe Rogan and Donald Trump Jr. have all come out in support of truckers.
The convoy was instigated by the Liberal government’s decision to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for cross-border truck drivers, workers once considered essential to Canada’s pandemic response. As Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre told legacy media reporters on Thursday, truckers “have kept all of you alive for the last two years.”
Approximately 10% of the trucking industry has been impacted by the Liberal mandates, and experts have warned that it could cause significant disruptions to Canada’s already strained supply chain.
True North is on the ground in Ottawa and will post frequent updates throughout the weekend.
