A convoy of anti-vaccine mandate Canadian truckers and their supporters made their way to the country’s capital, Ottawa, creating a blockage and obstructing the U.S.-Canadian border crossing.
- The “Freedom Convoy,” which is what the truckers call themselves, formed as a response to vaccine mandated for truckers in order to cross borders between Canada and the United States.
- Per CNN, some protesters pressured staff at a homeless shelter to give them food. The parked trucks created “incessant honking and noise” around the soup kitchen programs, demanding meals and carrying on verbal altercations, according to the center’s Tweet.
- A criminal investigation is underway after monuments were vandalized during the weekend protests, according to a tweet by the Ottawa Police Service.
- Protesters are still rallying against the mandates since Saturday as downtown Ottawa remained packed with rigs and cars.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes a firm stand
According to The Boston Globe, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “Canadians were shocked and frankly disgusted by the behavior displayed by some people protesting in our nation’s capital.”
- “I want to be very clear: We are not intimidated by those who hurl insults and abuse at small business workers and steal food from the homeless,” he said.
- “We won’t give in to those who fly racist flags. We won’t cave to those who engage in vandalism or dishonor the memory of our veterans.”
Protesters are prepared to keep going
The protesters have created a GoFundMe which has already raised $10 million as of Monday night, per Fox News.
- “Our current government is implementing rules and mandates that are destroying the foundation of our businesses, industries and livelihoods,” reads the convoy’s GoFundMe page.
- “We are a peaceful country that has helped protect nations across the globe from tyrannical governments who oppressed their people, and now it seems it is happening here.”
- The money will be used to pay for fuel, food and lodging for participating truckers.