Convoy against compulsory vaccination | Six kilometers of trucks in front of the Ottawa parliament

(OTTAWA) Downtown Ottawa was on fire Friday night as truckers from Hamilton, Ont., pulled up in front of the parliament building to a cacophony of honks and cheers. The convoy would be six kilometers long, according to the authorities. “And this is just the beginning,” warns the city police.

Lila Dussault
The Press

With the arrival of the convoy, the fumes of exhaust pipes permeated the streets of the capital. Dozens, even hundreds of vehicles paraded, flags flying, for hours, in a thunderous clamor. On the sidewalks, brown snow, bruised by the footsteps of an electrified crowd. Everywhere, children, perched on shoulders or held by the hand.

The demonstrators, who oppose the compulsory vaccination of truckers, have been converging on Ottawa for several days, in a movement called “Canada Unity”. The arrival in the capital galvanized them. “We must take Canada back from the hands of communism, totalitarianism, illegal decrees and censorship,” vehemently enumerated Laura, a protester from Toronto who preferred to keep her last name silent.

Seven other convoys are expected in the capital on Saturday. They are currently arrested in the suburbs, in towns such as Vankleek Hill, Cornwall and Arnprior. Three are from Quebec, while two others are from southern Ontario, one from the Maritimes and one from Western Canada, said Amy Gagnon, communications officer for the Ottawa Police Service (OPS).

Early Friday evening, trucks emblazoned with signs such as “Fuck Trudeau” and “No Mandate” — most without their trailers — parked on the three lanes of Wellington Street. in front of parliament. Stretching to Kent Street, this convoy is the equivalent of about six kilometers long, says Amy Gagnon. The rest of the trucks were directed to other parking spaces reserved for them in the capital.

Despite the hubbub, everything is “quiet”, says M^me Gagnon, no incident having been reported. “Communication is good with the organizers of the convoys. They want their message to get through. They don’t want violence, so they work with us,” she explained to The Press by phone early Friday evening.

Present despite the cold

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the Ottawa parliament building early Friday afternoon, despite the bitter cold. “I’m here because I’m tired of being intimidated by my government,” said Shawne Reid, leaning against the barrier in front of parliament. The 43-year-old man arrived Thursday evening from the city of Barrie, Ont., located 400 kilometers west of Ottawa.

Driver of garbage trucks, the man slept in his vehicle in the night from Thursday to Friday, despite the cold.

A little further on, three men from Quebec took a Friday off to take part in the demonstration. “We no longer want to know anything about the vaccination pass, the measures [sanitaires]. Even the WHO [Organisation mondiale de la santé] Said we won’t get away with it [les doses de rappel], launches one of them, a beer in hand. We just want to get back to a normal way of life. The 36-year-old man, working in the computer industry, also refused to give his name to The Press.

Remember that the “Canada Unity” movement is calling on the Governor General and the Senate to order the federal government, and all provincial and territorial governments, to lift health restrictions related to COVID-19. He also wants the government to give up imposing the fines linked to these measures and withdraw the vaccine passport, which they describe as “illegal”.

At the end of the evening, the atmosphere took an even more heated turn.. “Where are you Justin?” chanted a group of Montrealers in English. “It’s a lot of the same vehicles that we see passing”, specified to The Press a policewoman stationed near parliament, from where she observed the seemingly endless procession of cars whose headlights lit up the wet asphalt.

Life goes on

A short walk across the Rideau Canal, the mall of the same name was busy late Friday afternoon. Ottawa police said they were in communication with merchants, but did not formally recommend that stores be closed. On site, customers circulated while shopping.

“I want to make sure that my employees and the store are safe,” said Elise Houle, manager of the Laura Secord chocolate factory, located at one of the mall’s entrances. She hadn’t decided yet whether she would open or close her business this weekend.

Next door, the Sport Tek store did not hesitate: complete closure on Friday and Saturday. At the Starbuck across the street, an employee said the cafe had closed early to make sure the team could get home safely, despite the congestion.

Other traders in attendance, who did not want to be named, said they would keep their doors open all weekend without concern. A group of young foreign students did not even know that a demonstration was taking place on the other side of the river.