In the midst of a political upheaval, and fearing incidents, hundreds of Canadian truckers, backed by Elon Musk, traveled for miles from many parts of Canada and gathered in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, on Friday to take part in a protest. compulsory vaccination against Covid-19, which is a prerequisite for crossing the Canada-US border.
Starting in the British Pacific province of Colombia, east of Ottawa, east, the “Freedom Convoy”, as it was called by truckers, has continued to grow in size in recent days. The meeting point is now Parliament Hill, in the heart of the federal capital.
“We do not want to be forced to be vaccinated, it should be a personal choice,” Louise, a protester who came to support truckers during a stop in the Vodraig area, told AFP. Ottawa.
To the applause of the crowd and with honking, the white-haired retiree said that she is afraid that with this measure she will completely lose her freedom. He took part in the mobilization to “thank the truckers” and “send a message to the Trinto government”.
“Whether people are vaccinated or not is not the problem. The problem is the obligation “, stressed Tabitha, 26 years old, speaking to the French Agency, holding a Canadian flag in her hands. According to her, Canada must find “common ground and fundamental ideals.”
Others held flags with insulting slogans against the Canadian Prime Minister.
“We will stay here as long as necessary,” said Jennifer of Prince Edward Island. It took 18 hours to reach Ottawa by procession from the Atlantic coast.
Since mid-January, Canada and the United States have made mandatory full vaccination against Covid-19 for truck drivers crossing the border between the two countries, which are the longest in the world and cover an area of almost 9,000 kilometers.
This measure was denounced by some truckers, who found a new “ally” on Thursday. American billionaire Elon Musk wrote on Twitter on Thursday: “Canadian truckers are the ones who provide.”
“This is a nationwide demonstration. “It will be significant in size and polarizing in nature,” Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly told a news conference on Friday, referring to a “complex and rapidly changing” situation.
The latter said he was unable to say the number of trucks or participants, but expected “major problems” on roads around the capital and urged residents to avoid travel.
Above all, the police fear extremism and violence, even though the movement’s organizers have made it clear that they intend to demonstrate “peacefully”. Ottawa police have warned that some may join the mobilization to “incite hatred and violence.”
Some traders closed their stores over the weekend, according to local media.
Politicians in the Federal Capital Territory may also be targeted, the police chief said.
Prime Minister Trinto, who is currently in quarantine following contact with the new coronavirus, defended the vaccination obligation for truckers on Wednesday, recalling that 90% of them have already been vaccinated.
“Comments made by some people connected with this convoy are unacceptable,” the prime minister said, while Conservative opposition leader Erin O’Toole said on Thursday he would meet with some of the truckers.
Some political analysts point out that Erin O’Toole is taking advantage of the demonstration for political purposes. O’Toole has opposed the mandatory vaccination since Prime Minister Justin Trinto announced the measure in October on the eve of the election.
“The convoy itself is becoming a symbol of the fatigue and division we see in this country,” O’Toole told reporters on Thursday.
On social media, some members of far-right circles have made threatening comments calling for an imitation of the Capitol attack, the equivalent of the January 2021 attack on the US Congress.
Canadian police fear that the mobilization of truckers will continue after the weekend.
Believing that the “vast majority” of truck drivers have been vaccinated in Canada, the Canadian Trucking Alliance, a large trade union representing about 4,500 members, “strongly condemned” the mobilization, saying it should not be expressed in this way. disagreement with government policies.
Many warn that the mobilization is led by the far right with a history of incitement to violence.
Canada’s Anti-Hate Network, an independent observatory, said key supporters of the convoy, some of whom described the demonstration as equivalent to the violent invasion of the US Capitol in Washington a year ago. The observatory stressed that they are not truckers but members of the far right.
Action4Canada, one of the organizers of the mobilization, has warned that it will stay in Ottawa until the mandatory measure is lifted.
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