Canada convoy protest

Freedom Convoy 2022
Part of COVID-19 protests in Canada
File:Parliament Hill during protest Freedom Convoy 2022.png File:Trucks line Wellington street Freedom Convoy 2022.png Protestors in front of Parliament Hill January 29, 2022 (top); Trucks line Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill (bottom left) ; Supporters greet a truck on an overpass in Merritt, British Columbia (bottom right).
Date	January 22, 2022 (2022-01-22) – present
Location	Canada
Caused by	COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
Goals	Original goal: Opposition to mandates for vaccines Opposition to Justin Trudeau
Methods	Convoy protest over major Canadian highways; demonstration at Parliament Hill
Status	Ongoing
Lead figures
James Bauder (organizer) Tamara Lich (convoy fundraiser) Benjamin Dichter (convoy spokesperson)
Number
551–1,155 vehiclesincluding: 121–230 trucks, 430–925 personal vehicles, 3,000-8,000 people
Casualties
Arrested	3

Freedom Convoy 2022 (French: Convoi de la Liberté) is an ongoing protest in Canada that began with truck drivers protesting the end of the temporary November 19, 2021 COVID-19 vaccine requirement exemption for cross-border truckers and the implementation on January 15, 2022 of a requirement for proof of vaccination to enter into Canada, without which, a 14-day quarantine would be imposed. The demonstration quickly developed, as groups associated with the protest changed their messaging to include the "repeal of all public health measures", expressed a number of "antigovernment grievances", particularly against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and called for "the overthrow of the federal government." The demonstration which began to arrive on Parliament Hill on January 29, grew to include up to hundreds of trucks, and thousands of protesters. It was described as "unique in nature, massive in scale, polarizing in context and dangerous in literally every other aspect of the event itself" by the Chief of Ottawa Police Services.

Composed of several routes traversing all of the Canadian provinces, the truck convoys converged on Ottawa on January 29, 2022, with a rally at Parliament Hill. The protest continued into February.

Both Canada and the United States accommodated cross-border truckers with a temporary 4-month-long exemption from the new COVID-19 regulations implemented by both countries in the fall of 2021, to prevent supply chain disruptions. The temporary exemptions for Canadian truckers ended on January 15, 2022 and the United States Department of Homeland Security exemption ended a week later on January 22, 2022. DHS, guided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had announced in October 2021 that all non-U.S. travelers entering the United States had be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) estimates that 85% of the 120,000 Canadian truck drivers are already vaccinated against COVID-19, and that these mandates would potentially impact 26,000 of the 160,000 drivers in both the United States and Canada who regularly cross the border. Prior to January 15, 2022, truck drivers and other essential workers had been temporarily exempt from the two-week quarantine for unvaccinated travellers crossing Canada's borders. The exemption's abolition has been criticized by some politicians and truckers for having the potential to exacerbate the supply chain disruptions already experienced in Canada.

The convoy has been condemned by trucking industry groups. On January 27, Prime Minister Trudeau said that almost 90% of Canadians were vaccinated, as were many truckers in Canada, and that a "small fringe minority of people" in the convoy do not "represent the views of Canadians." A January 29 CTA statement cautioned the public that a "great number of protestors" with no connection to the trucking industry "have a separate agenda beyond a disagreement over cross border vaccine requirements."

Main stream media raised concerns that organizers and groups associated with the protest have histories of white nationalism, racism, Islamophobia, Q-Anon and other conspiracy theories, and far-right groups, including those who promote violence.

Illegal acts committed by protesters drew widespread condemnation. Protesters were seen desecrating the statue of national hero Terry Fox, the National War Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and several emergency vehicles were attacked with rocks. On February 1, Ottawa Police reported that there had been no injuries related to the protest. Three arrests have been made in connection to the protests.

Organizers and associated groups

Some protesters on the ground expressed frustration at the apparent extremist views of organizers, with one saying "Whatever their agendas are, that’s not what we’re here for" and "They need to go home. We don’t need them. We don't need their numbers." As early as January 24, the main stream media was reporting that organizers and groups associated with the protest "appear to have links to conspiracy theories and far-right ideologies". The Toronto Star]] cited Canadian Anti-Hate Network's Peter Smith, who compared the development of the movement to that "pro-pipeline United We Roll convoy in 2019".

Although James Bauder is listed as the Freedom Convoy organizer, Vice News described him as "one man in a Winnebago" who has "nothing to do with truckers". Bauder expanded his existing 2019 Canada Unity Facebook page to promote his anti-COVID-19 restrictions. In October 2021, when he organized his convoy to Ottawa, it had nothing to do with vaccine mandates for truckers. One of the lead organizers of the convoy, James Bauder, has previously stated support for QAnon, endorsed conspiracy theories around the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and called for the arrest of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for alleged "treason".

Tamara Lich, who is the original fundraiser for the convoy, created the GoFundMe drive "Taking Back Our Freedom Convoy 2022" with a $100,000 goal. Lich described the convoy as a fight against "political over reach" of the "tyrannical" current Canadian federal government who are "implementing rules and mandates that are destroying the foundation of our businesses, industries and livelihoods...We are taking our fight to the doorsteps of our Federal Government and demanding that they cease all mandates against its people...We are asking for Donations to help with the costs of fuel, food and lodgings to help ease the pressures of this arduous task." Lich is currently Secretary for the Maverick Party, a western separatist group formerly known as Wexit Canada. Lich was previously the regional co-ordinator for Wexit in southeastern Alberta and board member for Wexit Alberta. In a January 24 statement, the Maverick Party distanced itself from the convoy and the protest, and has denied involvement in fundraising for the convoy.

By January 15, Banjamin "Ben" J. Dichter was listed along with Lich as organizers of the GoFundMe campaign—then subtitled "Delta BC Rollout"—with a $CDN8,000,000 goal; which was quickly reached. The message was slightly changed—added content and donations would "help with the costs of fuel first, and hopefully food and lodgings to help ease the pressures of this arduous task...In order for your generous donations to flow smoothly, the good people at Go Fund Me will be sending donations directly to our bulk fuel supplier and are working out the details now which means your hard earned money is going to straight to who it was meant for and need not flow through anyone else. Any left over donations will be donated to a credible Veterans organization which will be chosen by the donors. Dichter is listed as an organizer on the Freedom Convoy GoFundMe page and as the Convoy's organizer and spokesperson. In a talk he gave at the inaugural 2019 Peoples Party of Canada (PPC) National Convention, he claimed political Islam had infiltrated the Conservative Party and was "rotting away at our society like syphilis". Dichter took part in an interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News saying his group is opposed to vaccine passports as well as vaccine mandates. By February 2, the "Freedom Convoy 2022" GoFundMe campaign had been completely paused as the campaign is under investigation. No furtner contributions could be added to the $CDN10.1 million "already collected from more than 120,000 donors." It is not known what will happen to millions already collected.

Tamara Lich was "heavily involved" in the Yellow Vests 2019 protests as well as the Wexit western separatist movement, as was Pat King. The Yellow Vest movement "devolved into Islamophobic rhetoric and anti-immigrant views" from its original message of economic concerns. The Facebook page for the convoy has shared content from and listed as an organizer Wexit co-founder and Yellow Vest Canada organizer Patrick King, who has previously hosted counter-protests to anti-racism rallies, spread COVID-19 misinformation, and spread the Great Replacement conspiracy theory.King was involved in disrupting a Red Deer, Alberta 2020 Anti-Racism rally. He posted a video featured in a September 21, 2020 Edmonton City News report, in which he threatened rally organizers with physical violence. He held up a video clip on his phone from an anti-Trump rally in which a large man in a white T-shirt sucker-punched a 100-pound woman knocking her to the ground, warning, "if you come into my rural communities, I am going to be this big guy in the white shirt." King said in a December 21, 2021 Facebook live stream in which he said regarding COVID-19 precautions, that "The only way this is going to be solved is with bullets". Reuters fact-checked a widely-shared on-line video clip of an interview with King on a show hosted by Stew Peters, known for his coronavirus disinformation and other conspiracy theories. In the video King falsely claimed that COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted in Alberta on July 28, 2021 as a result of a subpoena he had issued to Alberta's chief medical officer of health (CMOH), Dr. Deena Hinshaw, in which she failed to prove that "Covid-19 Virus exists". Reuters fact-checkers clarified that the subpoena had been dismissed, and King had been charged and fined for violating a COVID-19 order under the Public Health Act.

Jason LaFace, Canada Unity's Ontario organizer for the Freedom Convoy is also a main organizer for No More Lockdowns Canada—an anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine mandate organization primarily associated with expelled Ontario MPP Randy Hillier which holds anti-lockdown rallies across Ontario.

Action 4 Canada is associated with the Canada Unity group inside the Freedom Convoy known for Islamophobic and anti-LGBTQ conspiracy group. Their webpage warn of the dangers of political Islam, health consequences of 5G technology and underreporting of adverse vaccine reactions. Founded by Tanya Gaw who actively supported the Yellow Vests protests of 2019.

Vaccination requirements for US-Canada cross-border travel

In October 2021, new United States Department of Homeland Security regulations were released regarding cross-border travel between the Canada and the United States based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To prevent supply chain disruptions, the DHS allowed for a window of four months—until January 22, 2022—for Canadian truckers to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. On November 19, 2021, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced upcoming adjustments to Canada's border measures. Included in the announced adjustments was the requirement for essential service providers, including truck drivers, to be fully vaccinated after January 15, 2022. The announcement clarified that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign national truck drivers would be prohibited from entering Canada after that date. According to the Canadian Press and CBC, as of January 22, the mandates would impact an estimated 26,000 unvaccinated truckers of the 160,000 truck drivers in both the United States and Canada who regularly cross the border. When asked in the House of Commons to produce data linking truckers to COVID-19 infections in Canada, neither the minister of health Jean-Yves Duclos nor the chief public health officer Theresa Tam were able to do so.

Vaccine mandates and passports

A October 21, 2021 federal briefing said that the provinces and territories—who hold all of the vaccination information—are responsible for providing the vaccine passport that Canadians needed to travel internationally, using "existing provincial proof of vaccination systems". By 2022, all provinces and territories had "vaccine passports with the QR code that meets the recommended Canadian standard for domestic and international travel". There is no federal mandate for COVID-19 vaccines in Canada. With healthcare capacity spread "too thin" during the "rising fifth wave driven by the Omicron variant" in early January 2022, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos's suggestion of mandatory COVID-19 vaccines was rejected by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, whose government had removed the "power of mandatory vaccination from the provinces Public Health Act, to ensure there could not be a vaccine mandate.

Since October 29, proof of vaccination has been mandatory for employees of federal public services and federally regulated industries including banking. By early January, in these public sectors, those "without proof, or an exemption on medical or religious grounds, has been put on unpaid leave". Since the end of October, Canadians who wish to travel domestically on cruise ships or by VIA Rail trains have been required to prove they are fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 tests. A January 27, 2022 CTV News explainer provided an update on current "vaccine mandates and public health restrictions" across Canada as background for the convoy. These mandates and restrictions "fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction" and most are "not federal responsibilities."

Protest goals

According to a January 28, 2022 article in The Guardian, the stated goals of the convoy quickly "spiralled from frustrations over vaccine mandates into calls for the repeal of all public health measures—and even the overthrow of the federal government."

A January 29 article in The New York Times, described the demonstration as "raucous but largely peaceful" that had begun as a truckers' protest agains government vaccine mandates that had "spread to include a wide array of antigovernment grievances".

The protest calls for the end of vaccine mandates in Canada during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One of the groups associated with the protest, Canada Unity, put out a memo on January 25, 2022, calling all levels of government cease all vaccine mandates, reemploy all employees terminated due to vaccination status and rescind all fines imposed for non-compliance with public health orders.

As the convoy reached Ontario, it began to deviate from its original goals. Several protesters voiced opposition to perceived authoritarianism and corruption by Justin Trudeau, stating they wanted him "out of office", while others said: "This is not an anti-vaccination movement, this is a freedom movement". Jason LaFace, Canada Unity's Ontario organizer for the convoy, has stated that the intent of the protest is to dissolve the government. They plan to present the memo to Governor General Mary Simon and the Senate. First Nations members were also seen among the protesters, carrying "every child matters" flags, which are used to express anger at the coverup of deaths in residential schools.

Protest timeline

Convoy movements

The first convoy departed Prince Rupert on January 22, arriving in Prince George in the evening. The following day, another convoy left from Delta with supporters gathering along Highway 1, the Trans-Canada Highway.

On January 24, a convoy drove through Regina, Saskatchewan and was greeted by supporters. According to police in Regina, about 1,200 vehicles reached the city. On January 25, another convoy passed through Kenora, Ontario, where Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in contact with the convoy stated that 200–300 vehicles would be passing through Kenora. The convoys consist of three main routes across Canada, which will converge for the Ottawa protest on the weekend. The Ottawa Police Service estimated up to 2,000 demonstrators in the city on the weekend.

As of January 26, the OPP estimated approximately 400 vehicles had entered Ontario from the Manitoba border as part of the eastbound convoy. The Kingston Police estimated approximately 300 vehicles (17 full tractor-trailers, 104 tractors without trailers, 424 passenger vehicles and six RVs) to go through Kingston.

On January 27, winter weather closed a portion of Highway 17, (the main route of the Trans-Canada) in northern Ontario, causing the eastbound convoy to be divided. Some of the truckers continued on to Sault Ste. Marie, while others diverted to Highway 11 (a northern branch of the TCH) and drove towards Cochrane.

Truckers from the Maritime provinces planned to meet in Moncton before departing for Ottawa. On the morning of January 27, supporters gathered in Enfield, Nova Scotia where fireworks were set off as 10 to 15 trucks departed for the New Brunswick border. RCMP in PEI reported that approximately 70 trucks and supporters' vehicles crossed the Confederation Bridge into New Brunswick, but that most immediately turned around and returned to the island. About 24 trucks reportedly passed through Fredericton in the afternoon, bound for Ottawa. On January 27, one convoy group passed through the Greater Toronto Area. Hundreds of protesters gathered at highway overpasses in support of the convoy, with a large gathering of supporters at Vaughan Mills mall north of the city.

On January 28, a convoy was seen passing through Quebec. About 600 convoy vehicles are expected to stay the night in Arnprior before heading to Parliament Hill the following morning.

Members of the protest use Zello chat to communicate.

On January 28, the province of Nova Scotia banned gatherings along highways, specifically on the Trans-Canada (Highway 104) between the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick border, in relation to protests related to the freedom convoy.

Ottawa

Vehicles lined up on Wellington Street January 28

Protester vehicles lined up in the periphery of the National War Memorial on January 31

Various images of specific acts during the day received wide condemnation. Protesters were seen drinking and dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial. Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre described it as a desecration, and the Royal Canadian Legion condemned the actions. A statue of iconic cancer fundraiser Terry Fox was decorated with an upside-down Canadian flag and a protest sign. The Terry Fox Foundation commented that Fox "believed in science and gave his life to help others". Images of a Canadian flag marked with a swastika were seen, as were two Confederate flags. The man with the Confederate flag was later forced out by other protesters, who said “Now he's going. Now he's gone. We called him out. He knows. He's gonna hold his head in shame now” Some protesters harassed volunteers at a local soup kitchen demanding free food intended for Ottawa's homeless population. According to soup kitchen staff, "One member of our shelter community was assaulted by protesters. A security guard went to his aid and was threatened and called racial slurs." The soup kitchen also said that protesters' vehicles blocked the kitchen's ambulance drop-off zone for around 12 hours before they were towed.

A video circulated showing protesters appropriating First Nations drumming while dancing, drinking beer, and chanting "yabba dabba doo" and "fuck Trudeau." Senator and Mi'kmaq leader Brian Francis tweeted "I am disgusted, appalled and saddened. This blatant act of racism must be vehemently condemned by all. Drumming is sacred to all First Nations. Our ways of life should never be mimicked, mocked and appropriated for political or other gain." The Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, whose traditional unceded territory includes the city of Ottawa, issued a statement condemning protesters who held an Indigenous pipe ceremony and set up a tepee in the city's Confederation Park without the First Nation's permission on February 2.

A Globe and Mail article entitled "Officials condemn 'desecration' of monuments, hateful signs on display at trucker convoy protest" also described the January 29 protest as having a "party-like atmosphere" with some handing out coffee, cookies, "drinking beer and smoking marijuana". Ottawa Police reported de-escalating multiple "high-risk situations" making no arrests.

Rideau Street in Ottawa on January 31

On January 30, Ottawa Police launched a criminal investigation into the desecration of the National War Memorial and statue of Terry Fox. They will also be investigating "threatening/illegal/intimidating behaviour" toward police officers, workers and other private citizens. Also on January 30, Sloly said that "I think the only thing we can say for sure we're still going to be dealing with some level of traffic disruption and demonstration over the next 24 hours."

A press conference was held at an undisclosed location, open only to invited right-wing outlets.

The House of Commons resumed on January 31, after the holiday break.

On January 31, Ottawa Paramedics announced that protesters had thrown rocks at an ambulance over the course of the weekend and called paramedics racial slurs. Paramedics had treated 19 people over the course of the weekend, mostly due to alcohol-related intoxication.

On the afternoon of January 31, Sloly said that "The situation of the demonstration has scaled down over the last 12 hours" and that "We want that trend to continue until this demonstration comes to a complete end. I cannot guarantee you that right now but I can guarantee that every effort at negotiation, coordination, de-escalation, has continued throughout the last four days and will continue until the complete end of this demonstration."

On February 1, large downtown Ottawa amenities like Rideau Centre and the National Arts Centre continued to stay closed due to security concerns. Ottawa police set up a hotline for hate-motivated crimes to be reported. On the night of February 1, Ottawa Police said that about 250 protesters remained around and on Parliament Hill.

On February 2, organizers of the protest said that they would not leave Ottawa until governments across Canada "end all mandates associated with COVID-19." and will stay "as long as it takes for freedom to be restored."

Security

At a January 31 press conference, Ottawa Police Service (OPS) Chief Peter Sloly described the "demonstration" as "unique in nature, massive in scale, polarizing in context and dangerous in literally every other aspect of the event itself." He said that starting on January 28 there was a "traffic gridlock" which turned into "traffic chaos" over the next two days as "thousands of vehicles, particularly heavy trucks" arrived in Ottawa. Security forces included agencies at the federal, provincial and municipal levels: the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, Gatineau Police, le Sûreté du Quebec, London Police Services, Hamilton Police Services, Peel Region Police Services, Toronto Police Services, York Region Police Services, and Durham Region Police Services who worked with the OPS Incident Command System. OPS Chief Sloly advised people to avoid downtown Ottawa during the weekend protest, adding that "we are prepared to investigate, arrest if necessary, charge and prosecute anyone who acts violently or breaks the law in the demonstrations, or in association with the demonstrations". Chief Sloly said that since the scaling down of the demonstration on January 31, the crime prevention teams normally directly providing support in around the core, but who were deployed elsewhere during the height of the protests, have returned to their neighbourhoods.

In response to criticism that police had been too soft on "disruptive protesters", Chief Sloly said that it was a "measure of success" that there were "no riots, no injuries, no deaths."

With the cost of police service per day estimated at $CDN800,000 a day in policing costs, the Mayor of Ottawa is considering legal action to cover costs.

Patrick McDonell, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons and Director General of Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) warned Members of Parliament about possible doxing attempts to discover the addresses of their residences in the Capital Region. The letter further warned MPs not to get involved in any demonstrations, to "go somewhere safe", and to keep all doors locked. McDonell told reporters that Canada has never been so divided—the thousands of people arriving on Parliament Hill in the trucker convoy, represents a "symbol of the fatigue" that Canadians are experiencing after two years of COVID. PPS prepared for approximately 10,000 protesters; Wellington Street, which is in front of Parliament Hill was closed to most traffic; some lanes had been "designated specifically" for truckers; and others for emergency vehicles.

On January 29, the first day of protest at Parliament Hill, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was "moved to an undisclosed location due to security concerns".

The OPS had called in reinforcements from the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and were working to identify threats in the convoy.

As protesters headed towards Ottawa on January 28, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) tweeted "OPP advises motorists to avoid travel on Hwy 417 (the TCH in eastern Ontario) and Hwy 416 in the Ottawa area, beginning Friday afternoon and on Saturday." They asked that emergency vehicle access be assured throughout.

Investigations

13 active investigations are underway for a number of widely publicized incidents including those related to the Unknown Soldier's memorial and the Terry Fox statue as well as for more general incidents, including bribery, threats, assault, and dangerous driving. An OPS hotline has been set up where victims can report crimes, including hate crimes.

Chief Sloly warned offenders that if they had come from elsewhere and committed a crime, including hate crime in Ottawa, there have been "intelligence officers, investigative officers, and multi-jurisdictional support" from across Canada at work in the background. He said, that "no matter where you live, no matter where your vehicles are registered"...You will be investigated...We will look for you. We will charge you, if necessary, will arrest you, and we will pursue prosecutions against you."

Fundraising

More than CA$7.5 million has been raised as of January 28, out of the CA$7 million goal, mostly through "small donations of $50 or $100". Some donors were anonymous and some were from outside Canada. Jodhveer Singh Dhaliwal, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh's brother-in-law, was one of the largest donors to the campaign. He claimed he was unaware what the money would be used for, and claims to have sought a refund.

Fundraising started on January 14, 2022, through the crowdsource fundraising platform GoFundMe. The Taking Back Our Freedom Convoy 2022 GoFundMe quickly raised over CA$5 million by January 25, 2022. On January 24, 2022, GoFundMe responded to questions by CTV News stating funds raised would not be distributed until the fundraising organizers could demonstrate how the funds would be properly distributed. On January 27, GoFundMe released the initial CA$1 million of the funds after the organizers have provided a distribution plan.

By January 26, the GoFundMe account was held pending an investigation. By February 1, Lich had created a new GoFundMe to raise money for fuel for truckers, according to National Observer journalist, Sandy Garossino. On February 2, OCP Chief Sloly announced that some of the money donated was from sources in the United States. The "Freedom Convoy 2022" has been completely paused with all information removed and no further contributions accepted as on February 2. It is not known what will happen to the $CDN10.1 million "already collected from more than 120,000 donors." The campaign which was one of GoFundMe's most successful to date included donors from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland. About one third of donors were anonymous.

The fundraiser was paused by GoFundMe, late on February 2, to ensure that it complies with the site's terms of service.

Misinformation

In a Facebook post on January 26, some organizers estimated as many as 50,000 trucks would be participating in the convoys, a statement repeated in the Toronto Sun and on Fox News. On his blog, Fox News commentator Sean Hannity reported that the convoy was made up of 10,000 heavy trucks, and Toronto Sun editor-in-chief Joe Warmington reported that the event may set a Guinness World Record for the largest truck convoy on record. Snopes described the claims as a "gross exaggeration", suggesting the total count was "likely hundreds", and pointing out that the convoy includes many cars and smaller vehicles. Agence France-Presse also fact-checked the claims as false: the current record is 480 trucks, set in Cairo, Egypt in November 2020, and the Freedom Convoy did not submit an application for an attempt at setting a new record.

On January 29, 2022, the Canadian Trucking Alliance commented that many of the supporters at the protest in Ottawa had no direct connection to the trucking industry.

Alleged links to extremist groups

In the lead-up to the planned arrival in Ottawa, it was anonymously reported on January 25 that alleged far-right and white supremacist groups were hoping for violence on Parliament Hill and redress of grievances akin to the 2021 United States Capitol attack. This has caused organizer Tamara Lich to address convoy members and denounce political violence, saying that protesters should "hold a peaceful protest" instead. Organizers and leaders of the convoy condemned extremist groups, and asked that participants report law breakers to the police. They also stated that any extremists found would be "removed" from the convoy. Despite this, some protesters were photographed waving Confederate or Nazi flags at the rally. One man who was carrying a confederate flag was heckled and forced to leave by other protesters, who said “Now he's going. Now he's gone. We called him out. He knows. He's gonna hold his head in shame now.” On January 28, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concern that a small group of protesters are going to be posing a threat during the weekend.

Statements and reactions

Canadian politicians

Opposition

"Freedom of expression, assembly and association are cornerstones of democracy, but Nazi symbolism, racist imagery and desecration of war memorials are not."

— Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, dismissed the supply chain disruption concerns as unfounded on the basis that most Canadian truckers have been vaccinated. On January 31, Trudeau called the protests an "insult to truth", saying that "we are not intimated by those who hurl abuse at small business workers and steal food from the homeless" and "We won’t give in to those who fly racist flags. We won’t cave to those who engage in vandalism, or dishonour the memory of our veterans."

Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Transport, said on January 31, that since January 15 when the truck drivers' vaccine mandate came into effect, the traffic volumes of transport trucks crossing the Canada-U.S. border had not decreased. Compared to the fall of 2021, and based on Statistics Canada's most recent figures, even with a "massive snowstorm, even though it was a U.S. holiday, we had almost 100,000 truckers cross the border". On CTV's January 30 Question Period he said that some voices in the crowd of protestors are "really disturbing and unacceptable" and "must be condemned"; this included those carrying signs with swastikas and Confederate flags, and those who "called for the overthrow of the government." On January 24, he described them as a "the small number of far-right, vocal opposition that is polluting" the debate surrounding vaccine mandates. Other Canadian politicians—including Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, and Ottawa City Councillor Katherine McKenney—described the protests as extremist. Mayor of Port Coquitlam Brad West condemned the defacing of Fox's statue during the protest.

Erin O'Toole, Leader of the Official Opposition as leader of the Conservative Party, initially declined to support the protest, saying instead that the best way to maintain supply chains is for truckers to get vaccinated. O'Toole then later said he would meet with the protesters, but would not participate in nor attend their demonstration in Ottawa. O'Toole tweeted "I support their right to be heard, and I call on Justin Trudeau to meet with these hard-working Canadians to hear their concerns". O'Toole, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, later condemned the protesters for "desecrating" the war memorials on Parliament Hill.

Support

Conservative MPs Candice Bergen, Pierre Poilievre, Andrew Scheer, Garnett Genuis, Martin Shields, Warren Steinley, Jeremy Patzer, Leslyn Lewis, and Independent MP Derek Sloan all expressed their support for the convoy and truckers' movement. Damien Kurek and Michael Cooper attended the rally, serving food. Cooper was further interviewed on television. A person in behind Cooper had an upside-down Canadian flag with a swastika; Cooper says that he was unaware.

The People's Party of Canada organized a rally in Waterloo on January 23 in support of the convoy protests. Leader Maxime Bernier and Independent Ontario MPP Randy Hillier spoke at the event. Bernier also attended the January 29 event at Parliament Hill, criticizing Erin O'Toole for not attending.

On January 29, Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan, issued a letter in support of the protest. Although repeatedly encouraging vaccination, Moe stated that he did not support the cross-border vaccine mandate because vaccination does not prevent being infected by or transmitting COVID-19 (a statement that was subsequently disputed by multiple provincial doctors), and pledged that he would lift proof of vaccination requirements in Saskatchewan "in the not too-distant future" for that reason.

International politicians

Various conservative American politicians endorsed the Freedom Convoy including U.S. Representatives Jim Banks, Jim Jordan, and Kevin McCarthy, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and Donald Trump Jr.

Organizations

On January 25, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), a truckers' trade association and the federal government issued a formal statement reinforcing the use of vaccinations, along with other public health measures, to protect Canadian health care and to reduce COVID-19 risk. In the statement the CTA and the governemen committed to working together to respond supply chain constraints. A January 29 CTA statement cautioned the public that a "great number of protestors" have no connection to the trucking industry and "have a separate agenda beyond a disagreement over cross border vaccine requirements". CTA's January 22 statement had announced that they do "not support and strongly disapprove of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges" and the disruption of the "motoring public on highways and commerce at the border". CTA members can express their disagreement with government policies by holding an "organized, lawful event on Parliament Hill." Stephen Laskowski, CTA president said the trucking industry "must adapt and comply with this mandate."

The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada noted concern about the convoy's "racist remarks", citing the comparisons to Nazis and communism. The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association and the British Columbia Trucking Association both criticized the protest.

The Terry Fox Foundation also condemned the defacing of Fox's statue with anti-mandate signs.

The Royal Canadian Legion called protesters dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier "shocking" and "strongly condemn[ed]" their actions.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies denounced the use of Nazi symbols by some of the protesters.

Others

General Wayne Eyre, Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, said he was, "sickened to see protesters dance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrate the National War Memorial", after video of such events surfaced online January 29.

Barry Prentice, transportation economy professor at University of Manitoba, stated that the truckers should be treated differently than flight crews or passenger-train employees, and that the positive aspects of vaccine mandates should be evaluated against the disruptions they would cause to the freight industry. Elon Musk tweeted "Canadian truckers rule" and followed it up with "If you scare people enough, they will demand removal of freedom. This is the path to tyranny." English comedian Russell Brand released a video decrying the media for ignoring the story — despite it being the one of the top stories for most outlets in Canada for days. Brand also said in the video that "Truckers, who were previously regarded as heroes when they were delivering vital goods and working during the lockdown, are now villains as they protest vaccine mandates". Krista Haynes, daughter of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and active anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine campaigner, attended a rally in support of the truckers as they headed to Ottawa.

Related protests

Alberta-Montana border crossing

On Saturday, January 29, the date that the Freedom Convoy arrived in Ottawa, a group of truckers blockaded the Sweetgrass–Coutts Border Crossing—one of the busiest ports of entry west of the Great Lakes which connects Sweet Grass, Montana via U.S. Interstate 15 with the village of Coutts, Alberta via Alberta Highway 4. The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is located at this crossing, making it the principal port of entry for Alberta's large meat industry, and one of three main points where all meat products from the rest of western Canada cross the border, according to the Canadian Meat Council. The group of around 100 protesters demanded an end to all COVID-19 restrictions. The blockade, which extended about 2 km (1.2 mi) into Canada, also blocked public and emergency vehicle access to the village of Coutts, prompting condemnation from the town's mayor. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called the blockade illegal, and threatened that protesters would face penalties under the province's Critical Infrastructure Defence Act.

Alberta RCMP initially negotiated with protesters for a peaceful end to the blockade, and protesters agreed to release about 50 vehicles trapped on Highway 4 and U.S. Interstate 15, however on February 1 police ceased negotiations and demanded that protesters leave the highway, and set up a police roadblock on Highway 4 about 20 km (12 mi) north of Coutts. A few vehicles left the area however most remained, and several incidents of violence against police and civilians were reported, including protesters ramming RCMP vehicles. Some vehicles wanting to join the blockade evaded the RCMP roadblock by driving through a ditch and drove south in the highway's northbound lanes, resulting in a head-on collision.