(Ottawa) A few hours before a major demonstration by truckers from across the country that could turn into a confrontation in the federal capital, the leader of the Conservative Party Erin O’Toole is calling for calm.
Posted at 7:06 p.m.
Updated at 7:27 p.m.
Expressing his concern about the turn that this demonstration, which extremist groups preaching violence have given their support to in recent days, could take, Mr. O’Toole said he intended to meet truckers taking part in the “Convoy freedom” to hear their grievances.
Leaving from British Columbia, this convoy aims to denounce the Trudeau government’s decision to impose compulsory vaccination on truckers crossing the Canada-US border. This measure came into effect about two weeks ago.
I have never seen the country so divided. And I’ve never seen such an important time to unite as now. After two years of the pandemic, Canadians are tired. They followed the rules. They work from home. The children do not go to school. Our lives have been turned upside down. The majority of Canadians have been vaccinated. We followed the rules. But this year started exactly like last year with confinements, curfews, division.
Erin O’Toole, leader of the CCP
The Conservative leader argued that no one in the country should lose their job, their home and their dignity because of the pandemic. He argued that people have the right to demonstrate peacefully and to be heard by governments. He argued that groups that advocate violence must be strongly denounced without silencing the voices of those with real concerns.
“Things are getting worse. The thousands of people who will be converging here over the next few days, the convoy of truckers, is a symbol of the fatigue we are experiencing in the country at the moment,” he added in the same breath during a conference of press he held following a two-day meeting of his Conservative caucus.
Mr. O’Toole later accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of using unvaccinated truckers as a scapegoat for political gain.
He recalled that these truckers were described as “heroes” at the start of the pandemic as they transported essential goods between Canada and the United States. They were then valued as “essential workers” in the same way as health care workers, he pointed out.
“The simple fact that the Prime Minister refuses to hear the voices of these people demonstrates the extent of the division that exists in our country. After two years, Canadians and Quebecers are tired,” he argued.
O’Toole said he plans to meet with truckers Friday at a location away from downtown Ottawa, which is likely to be overrun by hundreds of transport trucks by Saturday.
In anticipation of this demonstration, the Ottawa police forces are on the alert, fearing outbursts and clashes, especially since counter-demonstrators have indicated their intention to also converge on Parliament Hill to denounce the remarks expressions of hatred by extremist groups supporting the convoy.
Some extremists have said they want the monster protest to be Canada’s equivalent of the January 6, 2021 violent assault on the US Congress. This call for violence led the Ottawa Police, RCMP and Parliamentary Protective Service to increase their numbers around Parliament Hill in an effort to maintain order.
The speech preaching hatred and violence in anticipation of this demonstration also worries the other elected officials in Ottawa. In a written statement, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also said he was “disturbed” to see some Conservative MPs openly supporting the “Freedom Convoy”
“I am deeply troubled by the fact that Conservative MPs are supporting this convoy and, in the process, supporting extremists who wish to disrupt the democratic process, incite violence and spread misinformation regarding the advice of public health experts. said Mr. Singh. He was referring to remarks made by Conservative Party heavyweights such as former party leader Andrew Scheer, and deputy leader Candice Bergen.
“I understand that people are frustrated that we are still in this pandemic. Canadians have made great sacrifices to keep each other safe. […] But I am concerned about the dangerous rhetoric we saw in the convoy. I am concerned about extremists spreading misinformation and trying to turn the convoy into a Canadian version of the terrorist attacks on the US Capitol. This is not the Canada our children deserve to grow up in,” he commented.