When Canadian truckers, only a few short weeks ago, launched a convoy aimed at resisting governmental COVID-19 vaccination mandates and raising the public's awareness of the gradual but significant loss of their rights in that process, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described it as a "small fringe minority."
Small and fringe it may have been when the first handful of drivers put their tractors in gear, but it's long since passed that stage, with confirmation it continues even today in multiple cities and it is being replicated over and over. It's likely many thousands of truckers have joined.
Fox News describes how Ottawa police are fully occupied with demonstrations around the Canadian capital and they've moved to arresting protesters and seizing vehicles – even arresting people carrying fuel to the trucks – in an effort to suppress the messaging.
Over the weekend, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency over the "Freedom Convoy" and the truckers say they are staying until the government rolls back vaccine – and mask – demands.
At one point, truckers who blocked a key route between Canada and the U.S. released a statement to makes sure people understood the fight: "While using emergency powers, our provincial and federal governments, with the assistance of health departments, have systematically taken away our rights and freedoms. We, the people, call on Jason Kenney and Justin Trudeau to immediately stop and retract all provincial and federal mandates and emergency health measures. We call on the premier to do the right thing. The people have spoken."
The actions also were being replicated already. According to Fox Business, a convoy dubbed the "People's Convoy" already had been launched in the United States.
Organizer Brian Brase said, "I can’t express enough that this is in no way is this a right wing issue or a left wing issue. This is not anti-vax. This is about your rights as a human being and then, of course, as an American, your constitutional rights."
They were starting in California with plans to cross the nation and finish in Washington, D.C., next month.
In the United States, a truck convoy already crossed Alaska to show support, in an event set up by Anchorage Assembly member Jamie Allard.
He told KTUU, "Without [truckers], we’re not getting our supply. We need to get our supplies here. People need to be recognized for everything we’re doing here in our city."
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