Rights of convoy participants deserve to be respected
By Lethbridge Herald on February 5, 2022.
Rachael Thomas – MP for Lethbridge
As I write this article, it is the morning of Thursday, Feb. 3 and I am in Ottawa. I just came into the office after walking down Wellington Street where rigs, Honda Civics, Ford F-150s, and RVs are parked, and people of all ages and all backgrounds are advocating for a return to normal life.
I could take an alternate route that would allow me to avoid most of the supposed “chaos” but why would I? It is an honour and a joy to walk among and converse with those who have gathered on Parliament Hill from all corners of our country.
During my journey, I passed hundreds of signs that say “thank-you truckers”, others that speak of love, and yet others that call for freedom. I received a lot of smiles, many thumbs up, and a few horns were blared.
On Tuesday I talked with a family pulling a wagon with their two little girls and a baby in tow, carrying a sign that said, “Thank you Truckers.” I stopped and talked with them, and they shared that they travelled four hours to be present for the day. They are vaccinated but feel it is unfair to discriminate against those who are not.
The mainstream media would like you to believe that this is an anti-vaccination protest made up of a homogenous group of disgruntled white men. Even the Prime Minister continues to frame participants as a “fringe minority” with “unacceptable views.” It is just not true.
Throughout the week, I have talked with truckers, nurses, postal workers, teachers, construction workers, and stay-at-home moms. Some participants wear crosses and some wear turbans. Some are in their seventies and others are still in diapers. Some are not vaccinated, and others are vaccinated three times.
Images, sound recordings, and video footage of the Freedom Convoy, and the thousands-upon-thousands of Canadians who have come out to support the participants in their week-long journey to the capital, have inspired many.
Who would have imagined the largest trucking convoy in history would lead the way in a mass demonstration for freedom in the capital of Canada? There are reports of trucking convoys following suit in countries around the world.
Though there have been a few unfortunate incidents carried out by a handful of agitators, they do not reflect the majority of the protesters. I condemn those acts, as have the organizers of the Freedom Convoy. Those individuals must be held individually responsible. After all, just because Mr. Trudeau wore blackface, it does not mean all Liberals are racist, does it?
Some other things worth noting, which you will not hear from mainstream news, is the amount of respect and decency these protestors have displayed. They walk around at night picking up garbage. They shovel snow to clear the sidewalks. They have people manning the National War Memorial to ensure the monument and area around it is respected. How many other protests can boast the same?
In contrast, hundreds marched through the streets of Toronto on Saturday calling for the destruction of Israel and engaging in violent uprisings where “Death to the Jews” was shouted vehemently. Where was the mainstream media? Where was the Prime Minister?
The hypocrisy is sickening. Canadians should be outraged — or at least not silent.
The vast majority of those taking part in the Convoy for Freedom have positive motives. In a free and democratic country, they are peacefully demonstrating, which is their right to do.
The Prime Minister would do well to listen. Canada is speaking.
We are witnessing a remarkable movement in history. If you do not respect the position taken by those participating, I hope you can at least respect their right to take it.
17-16
Why do you support more rights for the truckers than the rest of us who just want to get to our jobs, appointments, and get on with our lives, instead of being held hostage in lineups by these morons?
Decency displayed by protesters?? like urinating on the Ottawa war memorial and all over the streets of downtown Ottawa? You condone this?!
This has less to do with freedom and more to do with personal hate agendas and desire for media attention.
Remember, this a very small group of rabble-rousers, and Canadians should not be dictated by their personal agendas. Nor should you.
Where are the urination videos. Come up with some more names you can call them and more accusations. Please provide an example of someone stating their personal hate agenda. Yet, you are quite content to have them all drive through the night and crappy weather so you can go buy what you want. They should just shut up right? Who has the agenda? I heard you led the toilet paper craze at Costco. Don’t have any video, just heard it, so it must be true.
Yes, yes, ‘very fine people’ …
Cheerleading insurrection puts a new twist on the definition of ‘loyal’, as in loyal opposition.
Ms. Thomas, folks have every right to refuse to take the COVID vaccinations. However, abiding by the consequences associated with NOT taking the vaccination is also part of participating in a “free and democratic country”. Part of those consequences is not being entitled to infringe on the freedoms of others going about their business and trying to eliminate the spread of the COVID virus.
What is the next thing these same folks will disagree with? Will this also involve shutting down strategic economic corridors & etc? Will those Canadians who understand what it means to participate in the social contract be faced with another list of demands?
These actions are more in keeping with domestic terrorism, are they not? Ms. Thomas, do you know what the Criminal Code of Canada says about domestic terrorism? It states the following:
In Canada, section 83.01 of the Criminal Code[1] defines terrorism as an act committed “in whole or in part for a political, religious or ideological purpose, objective or cause” with the intention of intimidating the public “…with regard to its security, including its economic security, or compelling a person, a government or a domestic or an international organization to do or to refrain from doing any act.” Activities recognized as criminal within this context include death and bodily harm with the use of violence; endangering a person’s life; risks posed to the health and safety of the public; significant property damage; and interference or disruption of essential services, facilities or systems.
How would you respond to a similar type protest against yourself as MP?
Would you be out strolling amongst this group publicly declaring that the folks involved have every right to call what they are doing a legal democratic protest? Would you give into the demands of such a group?
These actions that you find so easy to praise are not the actions of members of a democracy. Protest is one thing. Making demands regarding government policy and legislation before there will be any standing down is something entirely different.
This is no longer a “protest” it is an “occupation”. A big difference!
Canada is not speaking, as you say! You are looking at the beginning of an age where there will be unrest, uncertainty, continued spectacles as we now witness that will only increase! When you see Trump support flags flying as one news report showed in Ottawa, that says it all!
You are so naive and young Thomas, but more importantly, you and your party are the reason I recently shredded my Conservative membership card. You fail to see the complete disrespect for the Ottawa citizens, or the high costs to all Canadian taxpayers as the group, that has US citizens there supporting them and radical groups, including those that want Canada to be divided, celebrating on the streets like it is Sodom and Gomorrah!
Urinating on the cenotaph and dancing on the tomb is fine in your eyes?
You say “…. It is an honour and a joy to walk among and converse with those who have gathered on Parliament Hill…” obviously you do not know what honour or scarifice is!
If they don’t want to be vaccinated, fine! I look forward to seeing them taken from society by COVID, since we already have enough deviants to deal with!
You really do not see the big picture here and like all politicians are only concerned with getting re-elected! Well, you will not see that happen here in Lethbridge because we have taken all we can and you barely made it in last election.
The Conservative party has being infiltrated my radicals and they attempted to weed them out, but it appears they have firmly taken over!
If you cannot see how bad this is for Canada, you should not be in any position of leadership or power. You really are naive!
It is a protest,the freedom convoy. Just because their parked somewhere does not make it an occupation.
sec 83.01 “act of intimidation committed for ideological purpose— to intimidate the public” Sounds like the whole covid gong show. In case some one missed it , vaccines aren’t working,and covid is over everywhere almost everywhere else in the world.