Thousands of truck drivers and other activists who oppose the decision to extend compulsory vaccination to drivers in cross-border traffic had arrived in Ottawa on Saturday at a rally at the Canadian parliament building.
The organizers of the rally demand that the government and the provincial government lift all restrictions and vaccination requirements imposed due to the spread of Covid-19. The document does not mention truck drivers or their situation at all.
Over the past week, several groups of truck drivers and their supporters from across Canada have traveled to the capital in what they call the “Freedom Column.”
More than 101,000 donors have supported the campaign on GoFundMe, raising a total of eight million Canadian dollars (5.6 million euros).
Some of the campaigners have been in Ottawa since Friday, gathering in the streets and flying flags near the parliament building. As the official start of the rally approached, the streets of Ottawa were filled with more and more lorries, the sounds of which kept ringing the city.
Many protesters held posters with slogans against the country’s government and Prime Minister Justin Trudo.
For safety reasons, Trudo, who is in solitary confinement because of close contact with a person infected with Covid-19, has left the official residence, the broadcaster CBC reported. The area around the Canadian parliament is fenced off over the weekend.
There are many security staff on the streets of the city, and Otto Police Chief Peter Sloly described the situation as “unique, changeable, risky and significant.”
He stressed on Friday that police would not disturb the riots and was “ready to investigate, detain, prosecute and prosecute anyone who is violent or breaking the law if necessary”.
Trudo said on Wednesday that 90% of truck drivers have completed the primary vaccination course, so the protesters are a “small, marginal minority” that does not represent the majority of the Canadian population.
The prime minister said on Friday that truck drivers’ views on science, government and society threatened not only themselves but also other Canadians.
To date, 82% of Canadians over the age of five have been vaccinated against Covid-19. Among the adult population of the country, this indicator is 90%.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Erin O’Tool said on Thursday he planned to meet with members of the so-called “Freedom Column”, noting that the Tories had long opposed compulsory vaccination, but called on protesters to be peaceful.
Tesla and SpaceX founder Ilon Masks expressed support for the protest movement on Thursday.
Although the campaign has many supporters, the Canadian Freight Association, the largest organization in the industry, has condemned the campaign.
Many truck drivers have indicated on social networks that they are continuing their work and that the campaign is not being represented.
Security services have called on MPs to keep their homes safe, as rumors have been reported that protesters could attack MPs’ private residences.
The protests were sparked by a requirement in the US and Canada in mid-January that all truck drivers crossing the 9,000-kilometer border be vaccinated against Covid-19.
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