The fed up is felt in Ottawa, while the presence of truckers is prolonged. Trending in Canada, the hashtag #GoHome invites the demonstrators to return to their homes.
Originally planned to be a protest against the compulsory vaccination of truckers to cross the Canada-US border, the demonstration turned into a rally against Justin Trudeau and all the measures taken to fight against COVID-19.
From Newfoundland and Labrador, Kimberly Canning points to “the selfishness of their actions”, ending her tweet with a #GoHome. And she’s not the only one. The presence of truckers determined to stay “as long as it takes” is a burden on residents of downtown Ottawa, who “want to regain their freedom”. Among them, Susan Gardner fears for the safety of her son, who works in a hotel in downtown Ottawa, where some customers do not wear a mask.
My son works in a hotel downtown. Unmasked guests are putting his safety and that of other guests at risk. Enough is enough. Go home.
— Susan Gardner (@SueGard94) January 31, 2022
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson called on protesters to leave yesterday. “Quite frankly, [les résidents] feel like prisoners in their own home. […] They can’t continue to block roads that are emergency roads, that are bus routes, that get people in and out of downtown,” he said in an interview with CBC Sunday. .
“The Real Truckers”
Testimonies from truckers, who did not participate in the rally, also surfaced. “If you don’t see big transporters at the demonstration, it’s because we, the others, are working! We maintain the supply chains! […] So if you really want to thank a trucker, thank those who continue to work, ”reads a text attributed to an often quoted trucker.
Other truckers break away from the movement, specifying that they are doubly or triple vaccinated, and continue to work.
Several hashtags evoking the challenge of this movement have been used in recent days. Among them, #FluTruxKlan, #FluTrucksClan, or #KarenKonvoy.
“The vast majority of Canadians know that grumbling is not the way to get through this pandemic. It is by getting vaccinated, ”said Justin Trudeau on Monday, who has no intention of making concessions.