Convoy against compulsory vaccination | The last convoys of truckers have arrived in Ottawa

(Ottawa) The last convoys of truckers and their supporters arrived in Ottawa, where thousands of demonstrators and vehicles gathered in a hubbub of slogans, chants, shouts, backfiring and honking. A helicopter marked “F*** Trudeau” also flew over the parliament building.

Lila Dussault
The Press

Darkness arrived in Ottawa along with the last convoys of vehicles on Saturday. An increasingly galvanized crowd continues to gather in the city center of the capital under high tension. The honks of heavy trucks rattle the ground as the air rings with music and the explosion of firecrackers. The atmosphere is fiery.

For some protesters, the mandatory vaccination of Canadian truckers is the straw that broke the camel’s back. For others, it is a movement of solidarity between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Everyone calls for an end to health measures related to COVID-19.

The number of people gathered downtown is akin to the Canada Day crowd, said Amy Gagnon, communications officer for the Ottawa Police Service late Saturday afternoon – several thousand. people. Some protesters, however, told The Press whom they estimate to be “hundreds of thousands” on the spot.

Between solidarity and extremism

“I don’t want any more hatred, I want to find freedom,” says Patrick Acke, 51 years old and vaccinated. The Ottawan holds up a sign illustrating a handshake between “vax” and “non-vax”.

Beside him, Christopher Eid, 28 years old unvaccinated from Montreal, adds: “I think our voices should be heard by our Prime Minister. It is a peaceful event that unites Canadians everywhere. »

In the surrounding streets, traffic has been moved away for safety reasons. Clive Henderson, an Ontario postman, who lost his job with the federal government because he was not vaccinated, is also taking part in the movement. “I want my job back, so I hope it [le gouvernement] will change your mind. »

The slogans “No mandate” and “F * * * Trudeau” are displayed on vehicles, signs and even on a helicopter which flew over the parliament around 2 p.m., while it is an exclusion zone Aerial. At the same time, Pat King, one of the organizers, encouraged the crowd to chant “Justin Trudeau must go”.

According to Ottawa police, convoy leaders are still working together to provide security for the protest. A large number of people are however independently, while calls for hatred and violence have circulated in social networks for several days. No major incident had taken place at the end of the day on Saturday, said Amy Gagnon.

Justin Trudeau in solitary confinement

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not at Rideau Cottage on Saturday. “He continues to isolate himself in the National Capital Region,” said the Prime Minister’s Office, which declined to comment further on the situation for security reasons.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CCA) again distanced itself from the protest against mandatory vaccinations, saying it appears a number of participants have no connection to the trucking industry. She warned that these protesters had separate goals.

The commemoration of the attack on the Quebec mosque, which was to take place in Ottawa, finally took place virtually for fear of racist attack from certain demonstrators.

The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Maxime Bernier, joined the protesters on Parliament Hill, where he delivered a plea for “freedom”. “It is a battle to regain our freedoms, our weapons, our words. Our weapons are the truth, and the truth will always win,” he chanted.

Gadsden Flag flags and shops closed

Among the hundreds of Canadian, Quebec or patriot flags also fly flags called Gadsden Flag. Yellow and decorated with a rattlesnake and the motto “Don’t Tread on Me” [ne me piétine pas], these are historical American flags related to the libertarian movement. They were notably used by pro-Trump activists during the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“We came to add our names to the cause. It goes too far, blackmail with the population. It goes beyond the limits, ”said Patrick Acke, a young Sherbrooke resident dressed in furs who was waving a Gadsden Flag on the sidewalk of Wellington Street on Saturday morning.

A crowd without a mask also stormed the Rideau shopping center on Saturday. Almost all businesses had to close their doors in the afternoon. “We are closing now, and we will not open tomorrow”, confirmed to The Press Elise Houle from the Laura Secord chocolate factory. At 5 p.m., when the mall closed, Ottawa police were deployed to get the last holdouts off the premises.

In nearby shops and hotels, The Press found that people were no longer wearing masks. “We ask them, but they refuse to put them on,” said the hotel employee who could not speak publicly.

The increased police presence in the capital is done with the collaboration of the police services of Ottawa, Toronto, Durham, London and York, as well as with the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Vans, officers on foot in crowds and on rooftops patrol. Drones monitor the movements of the crowd.

Early Saturday, downtown Ottawa looked like the morning after, with tents, sleepers in cars, packed hostels and Tim Hortons at full capacity.

With Stéphane Blais, The Canadian Press, and Léa Carrier, La Presse