Mardi 1is February morning, the horns continued to sound in Wellington Street, in front of the Canadian Parliament, in Ottawa. Leaving from British Columbia (West), the convoy of drivers opposed to the vaccination requirement for cross-border truckers joined the Canadian capital on Friday January 28. While many have since turned back, the most determined – around a hundred – do not seem determined to break camp.
→ UNDERSTAND. In Canada, the “freedom convoy” is on its way once morest compulsory vaccination
The demonstration, which takes place mostly in calm, gave rise to several excesses. The Tomb of Canada’s Unknown Soldier was desecrated, and protesters displayed Nazi symbols in the city center. The movement also appropriated the memorial statue of Terry Fox, an activist in cancer research, on which was affixed a sign which reads “Compulsory Freedom”. Finally, a homeless shelter denounced the theft of food by demonstrators, who also allegedly assaulted the staff.
Wider denunciation of health measures
Justin Trudeau on Monday called the convoy a “small marginalized minority” : “All Canadians have the right to express their opinion or disagree with their government. But they do not have the right to threaten or harass their fellow citizens, nor to spread messages of hatred. » However, the Prime Minister took care to dissociate the convoy of demonstrators from most of the truckers, specifying that 90% of them are vaccinated: “The behaviors we saw this weekend do not represent you. »
→ TO ANALYSE. Outcry once morest the Quebec tax for the unvaccinated
Dominic Lockhead led part of the convoy from Trois-Rivières, Quebec to the nation’s capital. AT The cross, he explains what prompted him to protest: “It is my duty, we are at war once morest the government which ostracizes us. We are writing a piece of history right now and we cannot afford to lose. We want Justin Trudeau to stop all these measures, we want a return to normal. We have passed the question of the vaccine! » A speech that testifies to the evolution of the message of many demonstrators: initially focused on the fate of truckers, he now denounces, more broadly, health measures.
Confused position of the conservative opposition
In his first position since the beginning of the demonstration, Justin Trudeau also criticized elected officials who “exploit people’s fears” and asked them to reflect on the consequences of the support they provide: “We have seen for several months Conservative politicians sharing misinformation regarding vaccines, encouraging conspiracy theories online. »
In the Prime Minister’s sights, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, who initially supported the movement and met truckers last weekend. In a video posted on her social networks, Erin O’Toole, however, condemned the excesses “of a minority of extremists”. Lambasted within his party for his confused position on the demonstration, but not only, the conservative leader now faces a vote of confidence on Wednesday. According to Radio-Canada, the vote would actually be “a personal vendetta of the religious wing of the party”, who did not appreciate his attempt at political refocusing.
