From Ottawa, “Freedom Convoys” Expected to Arrive in Washington DC

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a first national public order emergency in Ottawa on February 23rd in response to trucker protests. These protestors have occupied Ottawa, the nation’s capital, since January 28th. Before arriving in Ottawa, a “freedom convoy” of truckers traveled across Ontario as a protest against vaccine mandates for truckers driving internationally between the U.S. and Canada. These protests have impeded necessary travel and transportation in Ottawa, and throughout Canada and the United States.

The occurrence of these protests in Canada is significant because, previously, Canada has had little to no public outcries in response to COVID related matters such as mask and vaccine mandates. For many people in the U.S, COVID has become politicized, but this is generally not the case in Canada. Even most politically right leaning provinces in Canada have put in place mask and vaccine mandates without much fuss. Even the very truckers who are protesting these mandates have a 90% vaccination rate according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance. Many of these protestors claim to want COVID policies to end solely for economic reasons, considering themselves the representatives of all the small businesses that have been unable to function during the pandemic. In mid-February, after Trudeau announced a state of emergency, police began arresting protestors.

Trucks have proved to be very efficient in garnering attention, mostly because of their size, ability to make noise, and the fact that they are equipped with a living space. These protests have had a significant impact in various Canadian cities, and the freedom convoy has come to America, and even, ideologically, Europe, where new “freedom convoys” have broken out. In America, these convoys are called the “People’s Convoy” and the “American Freedom Convoy”, and both have been traveling across the United States throughout February. The “People’s Convoy” departed from California, and is expected to arrive in Washington DC this weekend, and the “American Freedom Convoy”, mostly consisting of participants from the Midwest, is expected to arrive in the beginning of the coming week. These convoys have traveled to locations as close to Frostburg as Hagerstown. Law enforcement in and around Washington has been preparing for any potential incidents which may occur as the protestors occupy the city.