Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 50, finally cracked down on trucker protests that swamped the street in Ottawa housing parliament and government offices. For the last month, truckers from all over Canada launched anti-vaccine protests disrupting government business, trying get their point across to Trudeau’s government. While Trudeau remained tolerant for a few weeks, he lost his patience, ordering the largest police mobiliztion in Canadian history. Canadian truckers won the praise of anti-vaxxers in the United States, where certain right wing groups oppose government vaccine mandates and other steps used to slow the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. Protests against Trudeau’s strict Covid-19 measures came a little late as Covid-19 cases and hospitalization dwindle, prompting health authorities to reduce pressure for vaccines and other restricted measures.
Trudeau’s crack down leaves many Canadian leftists questioning his policy, despite supporting vaccine mandates and other measures to deal with the third year of the Covid-19 global pandemic. “They are trying to push us away,” said Jeremy Glass of Shelburne, Ontario. “The main camp is seized now. We’re not longer in possession of it,” Glass said, referring to how Canadian police pushed protesters out of the area in front of parliament. Police complained about protesters “aggressive and assaultive” behavior, forcing the otherwise pacifist Trudeau to crack down. Canadian authorities seized some $3.2 million in Canadian dollars [$2.5 million U.S.] of protesters bank accounts, showing the government was serious to end protests. Trudeau’s government complained that the protests were funded by right wing groups in the U .S. Protest organizers said they ordered trucks to move away from the Ottawa government buildings.
Ottawa police gave protesters plenty of advance notice about the crackdown, telling them to vacate the area. “We told you to leave. We gave you time to leave. We were slow and methodical, yet you were assaultive and aggressive with officers and the horses. Based on you behavior, we are responding by including helmets and batons for our safety,” read a Tweet from the Ottawa police. Ottawa police confirmed 47 arrests Saturday, showing that some protesters refuse to comply. Over two-dozen trucks had been towed, including one blocking one of Ottawa’s major streets. Trudeau showed great restraint over the last three weeks but finally said enough is enough. Unlike most crackdowns in the U.S., Canadian police handled the protesters with the utmost care, despite making mass arrests for those uncooperative. Called the Freedom Convy, truckers were considered heroes to anti-vaxxers.
When Ottawa residents complained of intimidation by truckers, Trudeau decided to restore Canada’s civil society. Anti-vaxxers were not in the mainstream of Canadian society that has some 90% of citizens vaccinated. Freedom Convoy drew praise from right wing group in the U.S., protesting Biden’s vaccine mandates that were actually tossed out by federal courts. Ottawa’s Freedom Convoy comes at a time when vaccines mandates and other restrictive measures are dwindling following a drop off in Omciron variant cases and hospitalizations. Government vaccine mandates don’t sit well with many citizens in the U.S. and Canada because it violates the June 22, 2010 Patients Bill of Rights in the United States, where patients have a right to refuse any medical treatment of their choice. Freedom Convoy got out of hand blocking the Canadian parliament and other government offices.
Trudeau got fed up with truckers blocking the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan, preventing auto parts supplies from getting to Detroit’s auto manufacturing. Dozens of protesters blocking the Ambassador Bridge were cleared out last week. Another border blockade in Manitoba, across form North Dakota ended Wednesday without serious incident, ending the Freedom Convoy disruptions. Trudeau got fed up with U.S. cash pouring into the protests, disrupting and embarrassing the Canadian government. Trudeau often finds himself the brunt of U.S. conservatives, using him as a target of everything that’s wrong with Canadian socialism. When Trudeau acted decisively to end the Freedom Convoy, he faired much better than U.S. law enforcement that couldn’t stop violent protests, looting, riots and anarchy in summer 2020 in American cities.
Trudeau didn’t engage in Fascist behavior ordering a stop toe the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa. He showed everyone that Canada will not tolerate lawlessness and disruptions to the Ottawa government. As Covid-19 diminishes across state lines and international borders, the Freedom Convoy lost much of its steam. Debates about the rights of government to impose vaccines on unwilling participants is a legitimate debate in the U.S. and around the world. If the U.S. stuck to former President Barack Obama’s Patient Bill of Rights, there would be no debate, because citizens have a right to refuse treatment, including public health measures. Trudeau showed that government has a right to draw the line when it comes to peaceful protests getting unruly and blocking important civic functions. Blocking interstate or international commerce on key bridges crossed a dangerous line.
