ARE WE LOSING THE RIGHT TO PROTEST?

[rookiepilot]

If you read my posts, I am not an “anti vaxer”.

I gave it careful thought, and am double vaxed. I generally support the government’s position on most of their policies and responses to a very difficult health crisis. I am an unabashed supporter of health care workers and have little tolerance for the BS spewed on this forum.

I don’t write lightly, that is, about the truckers protest approaching Ottawa. I saw them cross through Toronto today, and saw many on overpasses cheering them on.

The response by media and political leaders, has been shocking in Canada and should give everyone pause.

The innuendo stops barely short of calling this group organized terrorists, and stops barely short of condemning the essential principle of peaceful protest in Canada. This is unacceptable. Read the media coverage.

Its not hard to see any future protests against the government, without evidence, instantly denounced as Nazi’s, homophobic, racist, terrorist, or any other inflammatory label, in the name of quelling any dissent. These words should not be used flippantly, but have been applied to this entire group of truckers, notable in their size.

Where will we be in 10 years? Appointing Trudeau dictator for life? Shame on the media for their inflammatory coverage of this peaceful convoy.

“The small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa, or who are holding unacceptable views that they're expressing, do not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other," Trudeau told a news conference today.”

Unacceptable views? Define this!

“Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said he is “concerned about the small number of far-right, vocal opposition that is polluting much of our political debate.”

What does that mean? Define it. Anything right of YOUR views?

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has denounced the convoy and accused its organizers of voicing "inflammatory, divisive and hateful comments."

That is not true. The organizers have explicitly called for a peaceful protest.

I ask: Is the right to peaceful protest still alive in Canada? it’s important.

Cause next time — it might be YOU protesting something else, and then demonized as hateful, homophobic, racist and a terrorist, just for gathering on Parliament Hill, holding a sign.

https://www.cp24.com/news/trucker-prote ... -1.5756715

[digits_]

I agree with your general message. I am quite surprised that the event is mostly ignored by the political leaders. That means the protest will either die out, or grow bigger until it can't be ignored anymore.

Calling them names to ignore the actual message is a cheap tactic. Regardless of party ideology.

I have quite a bit of sympathy for the protestors. Even though I don't agree with some major parts of their message, they deserve to be heard.

[WellThatAgedWell]

If you read my posts, I am not an “anti vaxer”.

This is exactly how I know you are in fact antivax

Joking aside, I find it tiring that everyone starts the conversation this way. It’s like we are so afraid to offend people.

[photofly]

I'm pretty sure Trudeau needed new underpants when he heard that $6M has been donated to cover the convoy costs. Nothing speaks to politicians like money, and the causes it's donated to.

[rookiepilot]

If you read my posts, I am not an “anti vaxer”.

This is exactly how I know you are in fact antivax

Joking aside, I find it tiring that everyone starts the conversation this way. It’s like we are so afraid to offend people.

I’m putting in context. I probably don’t agree with the truckers. Not sure.

I DO vehemently support someone's right to be heard without automatically being called a terrorist, homophobic racist.

This labelling is becoming a pattern for those who don’t agree with the Liberals.

[RoAF-Mig21]

Every bridge along my city's 401 corridor was filled with Canadians in support of truckers tonight. They're being called anti-vax, extremists, etc. They're not anti vax. They're anti "government regulations" that are trying to control (increasingly) our every day life in every aspect. I was talking to a farmer today and how draconic the farming regulations have become in the last 5 years. It's too much to go into detail. The far left has a very quick way to shut everyone down. They automatically accuse them of being X Y or Z type of "extremist".

I'm full vaccinated, boosted, etc. and I still support our truckers. Imagine all the Canadians came together to support us when we gathered at YYZ (or other airports) to protest the draconic travel rules the Federal Government put into place in 2020. What has that done to our industry? What has changed in the last two years? We did our part. We social distanced, we wore masks, worked from home, denied our children interaction with other kids... etc. etc. etc. What has the government done to alleviate the stress on the health care system? How many beds did we add? How many nurses, doctors, RTs, etc etc etc. did we hire?

[Inverted2]

Justin is hiding out. Said he got exposed to a Covid . How convenient the timing was. Wonder if he’s hiding out in the Diefenbunker and watching Netflix? He will have to surface again eventually.

Your right to protest will only end when you give it up.

[Inverted2]

If you read my posts, I am not an “anti vaxer”.

I gave it careful thought, and am double vaxed. I generally support the government’s position on most of their policies and responses to a very difficult health crisis. I am an unabashed supporter of health care workers and have little tolerance for the BS spewed on this forum.

I don’t write lightly, that is, about the truckers protest approaching Ottawa. I saw them cross through Toronto today, and saw many on overpasses cheering them on.

The response by media and political leaders, has been shocking in Canada and should give everyone pause.

The innuendo stops barely short of calling this group organized terrorists, and stops barely short of condemning the essential principle of peaceful protest in Canada. This is unacceptable. Read the media coverage.

Its not hard to see any future protests against the government, without evidence, instantly denounced as Nazi’s, homophobic, racist, terrorist, or any other inflammatory label, in the name of quelling any dissent. These words should not be used flippantly, but have been applied to this entire group of truckers, notable in their size.

Where will we be in 10 years? Appointing Trudeau dictator for life? Shame on the media for their inflammatory coverage of this peaceful convoy.

“The small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa, or who are holding unacceptable views that they're expressing, do not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other," Trudeau told a news conference today.”

Unacceptable views? Define this!

“Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said he is “concerned about the small number of far-right, vocal opposition that is polluting much of our political debate.”

What does that mean? Define it. Anything right of YOUR views?

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has denounced the convoy and accused its organizers of voicing "inflammatory, divisive and hateful comments."

That is not true. The organizers have explicitly called for a peaceful protest.

I ask: Is the right to peaceful protest still alive in Canada? it’s important.

Cause next time — it might be YOU protesting something else, and then demonized as hateful, homophobic, racist and a terrorist, just for gathering on Parliament Hill, holding a sign.

https://www.cp24.com/news/trucker-prote ... -1.5756715

Jagmeets brother donated a record $13,000 to the Freedom Convoy as well but asked for it back. Hmmm

[‘Bob’]

Good god, really?

Are they being rounded up and jailed?

Are they being tortured and executed?

Extraordinarily renditioned or held without charges or trial? Oh wait.. that only happens in the Land of the “Free”.

This is still a very vocal minority of truckers who don’t even account for a single percent of the trucks that cross the U.S. border legally every single day.

Politics is mud slinging. Always has been. Trudeau critics have absolutely no problems in using the very political correctness they hate against him.. so why should they be sacrosanct? Pick any profile that has a truck on it and you find the same intelligence insulting batshit crazy alt-right rhetoric behind it.

If you don’t want to get muddy. Stay at home.

Freedoms are freedoms from charges and prosecution by the government within certain necessary limits. They are not freedom from criticism or consequences.

Never have been. Never will be.

It’s when you don’t see any criticisms or conflicts is when you have to worry.

Besides.. the people really at play here are the professional grifters. Most if not all of the millions that people probably gave with the expectation that it would lead to any change whatsoever will be misappropriated and funnelled into coffers of the Maverick Party. Go Fund Me released a million.. I bet most of it gets eaten up in “administrative costs” to fill the war chests of the fledgling Bloc Kudetah.

So keep trucking FluTruxKlan. I support your right to assemble and protest.

But I give it about two weeks before this movement is dead. Hopefully none of their members make any stupid and life-altering decisions that aren’t enshrined in our rights like some of those “very fine people” in Charlottesville or the Jan 6 buffoons.

[geodoc]

Perfect for The Beaverton

Unvaccinated truckers demand Canada’s government change US government’s rules on unvaccinated truckers

https://www.thebeaverton.com/2022/01/un ... -truckers/

We're living in the golden age of grift. What a time to be alive!



.

[Posthumane]

To me it seems that in general discourse about people's political opponents has become quite exaggerated, with extreme adjectives and labels being attached to almost any action (terrorist, fascist, socialist, nazi, racist, etc.) no matter how slight. Then again, maybe this has always been the case and I just never noticed, since I was never really one to pay attention to the news much.

I was curious, so I looked up two articles from CBC since it's considered to be the largest news broadcaster in Canada. One was about the convoy protesting vaccine mandates (1) and the other was about the wet'suwet'en protesters blocking pipeline development (2) to see if there was a significant difference in tone between them, since they tended to skew in opposite directions amongst most people I know who expressed opinions about them. To me it didn't appear as if the authors had much slant for or against either story.

(1) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/t ... -1.6329118
(2) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british- ... -1.6293000

[pelmet]

If you read my posts, I am not an “anti vaxer”.

This is exactly how I know you are in fact antivax

Joking aside, I find it tiring that everyone starts the conversation this way. It’s like we are so afraid to offend people.

I’m putting in context. I probably don’t agree with the truckers. Not sure.

I DO vehemently support someone's right to be heard without automatically being called a terrorist, homophobic racist.

This labelling is becoming a pattern for those who don’t agree with the Liberals.

I agree with you 100% on your statement. The thing I find most sickening about the liberals and NDP is there running around labelling whoever disagrees with their policies as a racist. Especially when so many of their policies are the ones that are racist, whether it is access to vaccine by race or hiring by race.

[rookiepilot]

Good god, really?

Are they being rounded up and jailed?

Are they being tortured and executed?

Extraordinarily renditioned or held without charges or trial? Oh wait.. that only happens in the Land of the “Free”.

This is still a very vocal minority of truckers who don’t even account for a single percent of the trucks that cross the U.S. border legally every single day.

Politics is mud slinging. Always has been. Trudeau critics have absolutely no problems in using the very political correctness they hate against him.. so why should they be sacrosanct? Pick any profile that has a truck on it and you find the same intelligence insulting batshit crazy alt-right rhetoric behind it.

If you don’t want to get muddy. Stay at home.

Freedoms are freedoms from charges and prosecution by the government within certain necessary limits. They are not freedom from criticism or consequences.

Never have been. Never will be.

It’s when you don’t see any criticisms or conflicts is when you have to worry.

Besides.. the people really at play here are the professional grifters. Most if not all of the millions that people probably gave with the expectation that it would lead to any change whatsoever will be misappropriated and funnelled into coffers of the Maverick Party. Go Fund Me released a million.. I bet most of it gets eaten up in “administrative costs” to fill the war chests of the fledgling Bloc Kudetah.

So keep trucking FluTruxKlan. I support your right to assemble and protest.

But I give it about two weeks before this movement is dead. Hopefully none of their members make any stupid and life-altering decisions that aren’t enshrined in our rights like some of those “very fine people” in Charlottesville or the Jan 6 buffoons.

BOB.

You’ve just given up the right to ever protest anything of deep personal meaning to your life, by endorsing the government’s vicious slandering of a peaceful protest.

What happens when they go after pilots for anything you all might protest?

YOUR’RE A TERRORIST.

Nice, eh?

[pelmet]

Opponents of green policies are next.

Just wait. They are already wrapping it up in their racism mantra.


They want to ban Joe Rogan on Spotify(for saying things I likely disagree with about Covid). I know where it goes next. They will frame it their plans to ‘save the world’ is more important than your freedom of speech.

[Inverted2]

There were lots of visible minorities and First Nations at the convoy rally yesterday. I think it’s uniting more people than dividing. Hardly a right wing - white supremacist group the media would like you to believe.

[Posthumane]

Rookiepilot, can you post some specific examples of the government or media publications calling these protests homophobic, racist, or terrorist? I did see that Singh said they have some "dangerous and divisive rhetoric" and Trudeau called them a "fringe minority with unacceptable views" but I haven't been able to find much beyond that.

[rookiepilot]

Rookiepilot, can you post some specific examples of the government or media publications calling these protests homophobic, racist, or terrorist? I did see that Singh said they have some "dangerous and divisive rhetoric" and Trudeau called them a "fringe minority with unacceptable views" but I haven't been able to find much beyond that.

Perhaps you should search a little. Wasn't hard to find more.

And if you don’t think the media aren’t agents of the government who provides funding…can't help you.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion ... dangerous/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/health ... -1.6331223

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.6329870

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/0 ... turn-worse

https://www.ndp.ca/news/convoy-doesnt-s ... rivers-ndp

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he is “concerned by extremist elements that are spreading misinformation and attempting to turn the convoy into a Canadian version of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. Capitol,” in a statement released Thursday.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made the following statement:

“I understand people are frustrated that we’re still in this pandemic. Canadians have all sacrificed so much to keep each other safe. Like many other parents, when I hold my daughter, I think about getting through this safely so that kids can have normalcy again.

But I'm concerned by the dangerous rhetoric we’ve seen from the convoy. I am concerned by extremist elements that are spreading misinformation and attempting to turn the convoy into a Canadian version of the terrorist attacks on the US Capitol.

That is not the Canada our children deserve to grow up in.

I am deeply disturbed by Conservative MPs supporting this convoy and by default adding their support to extremists who wish to subvert the democratic process, incite violence and spread misinformation about expert public health advice.

The best way out of this is to do what the vast majority of truck drivers have already done – get vaccinated and continue to listen to public health experts.

We still have to have each other's backs as Canadians and we all have a responsibility not to spread harmful misinformation.

To the many hardworking, responsible truck drivers who have worked tirelessly to get Canadians through the pandemic – thank you. Canadians are indebted to you. We see you and we support you.

And, we know like many Canadians that are vaccinated, that this convoy does not speak for you.

Vaccines are the best way to ensure our health care systems and health care workers are not overwhelmed and New Democrats continue to urge Canadians to get their shot as soon as possible."

A federal mandate that requires truckers to be vaccinated to get over the border sparked the cross-country drive, which is to end with a protest at Parliament Hill. Dubbed the “freedom convoy,” the protest is organized by Canada Unity and other anti-public-health-mandate groups. At first, the convoy opposed vaccine mandates imposed on long-haul truckers, which forces unvaccinated truckers re-entering Canada to quarantine and get tested, but now it is calling for a repeal of all COVID-19 health mandates.

The movement has also caught the attention of Donald Trump Jr., who praised the Canadian “freedom convoy’s” fight against "tyranny" and urged Americans to follow suit in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday.

“Individuals have the right to safely and peacefully protest,” said Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi in a statement to Canada’s National Observer. “But from what we know about the protest that’s coming this weekend, it appears that some members of the group may be associated with racist, sexist, and xenophobic groups.”
The Liberal MP said his community “will not tolerate hate and vitriol and other acts of racism and violence,” and emphasized the need for the area to “remain safe from any kind of damage or destruction.”

Ottawa police are preparing for a variety of scenarios this Saturday, including violence, Chief Peter Sloly told the police services board Wednesday. Sloly added convoy organizers are co-operating

This week, a group of anti-public health protestors have stated that they will come to Ottawa and disrupt the legal commercial and transportation activities of our city.

As the Capital of Canada, Ottawa is used to protests. We usually see them on Parliament Hill, sometimes at City Hall or the Human Rights Monument or marching from one to another. I believe strongly that protest is a legitimate part of our democratic process and I support it and I have taken part in several.

I am encouraged by the 90 per cent of commercial truck drivers in Canada who have been vaccinated, and who have worked tirelessly to provide Canadians with food and goods throughout the pandemic. I am also proud of the Canadian Trucking Alliance who have opposed this protest.

But the event we're looking at this weekend is not what it appears. Several members of this group are connected to militant racist, sexist, and homophobic groups. Their statements and placards promote xenophobia. They are not here to only raise voices against vaccination mandates, but to also fuel hatred against the very fabric of our society.

https://ottawa.citynews.ca/local-news/e ... oy-4994688

I’d say that all smears everyone in the convoy pretty good — as potentially a terrorist, racist, or misogynistic.

[rookiepilot]

Its 10 PM on Friday night and the convoy is there in Ottawa.

Where is the January 6th insurrection attempt?

Where is all the violence the government has warned against?

I missed this.

Apparently if you’re not vaccinated your racist and misogynistic too — but not if you’re from Quebec, he said.

I kid you not!

https://westernstandardonline.com/2021/ ... xtremists/

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/rex-mu ... ti-vaxxers

[Inverted2]

Its 10 PM on Friday night and the convoy is there in Ottawa.

Where is the January 6th insurrection attempt?

Where is all the violence the government has warned against?

The big convoy is just past North Bay. Not all of it there yet. I heard that the city blocked some bridges from the Quebec side. There’s a big convoy from Quebec on the way too.

[Inverted2]

Some churches are apparently offering shelter and food to some of the guys who don’t have sleeper cabs. Nice to see that. Hotels are likely full too.