The ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests started when a group of truck drivers in Canada drove to the national capital of Ottawa in protest of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate that was recently demanded of truck drivers by the prime minister.
The demonstrations grew into a mixture of truckers and regular Canadian citizens who were tired of the pandemic restrictions and the losses they had incurred because of it.
Since the protests began, Canada has lost over a billion dollars in daily trade with the United States due to the blockades enacted by the protesters at strategic points like the border crossing, which connects Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit. Approximately one-fourth of all U.S.-Canada trade crosses this path.
For these reasons, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, declared a state of emergency for the first time in Canadian history. With this declaration, financial institutions in Canada have been given the authority to freeze any accounts suspected to be funding the protests.
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Many believe the Emergency Act to be quite the stretch, arguing that taking away civil liberties from a people without any prior attempts to speak to the protesters and settle the dispute is something a tyrant would do.
The hashtags #TrudeauforTreason and #TrudeauforTyranny have since been trending on Twitter. In an old tweet of his that just resurfaced on the app, Trudeau, who wasn’t yet a prime minister then, tweeted a quote by the former Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, that condemned governments that try to cancel or avoid public dissent. This type of switch in values is one that we have seen in many leaders over the years. One can conclude that power is as intoxicating as it is said to be.
Canadian residents have since revolted against this declaration, calling the prime minister a dictator, among other things. Many believe that their grievances are not out of place as the protesters are only exercising their human rights. In response to a public inquiry about the harshness of his most recent act, Trudeau stated, “The blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety. We will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue.” Despite his decrees, the protesters have vowed to continue until all the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, and they have since found other funding routes.
In another recent interview on CTV, Trudeau’s Justice Minister, David Lametti, went a step further to drag former US President Donald Trump’s supporters into the mix, declaring that they ought also to be worried about their accounts being frozen. This recent development makes the prime minister’s initial response seem more vindictive and political rather than an act borne out of concern for the country.
Still, a more significant percentage of Canadians believe that the ‘Freedom Convoy’ should end their protests and that they are selfish to want the COVID-19 restrictions lifted.
Despite all of the opposition, the protests have continued to rage, with smaller ‘freedom’ movements springing up worldwide. Countries like The Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand are witnessing protests that concern the same issues of COVID-19 restrictions and vaccinations.
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