Canada’s “Freedom Convoy” has gained some major endorsements abroad as images of thousands of protesters showed Canadian truckers, marching in Ottawa to protest the country’s stringent vaccine mandates.
It started as a protest against a vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the US-Canada border. Soon, however, the protests turned into a popular revolt against Canada’s liberal government. Thousands of protesters came out in support of the truckers that descended on Ottawa.
Despite freezing weather (-23) a “small minority” of #TruckersForFreedom2022 and tens of thousands of supporters across Canada have come to show their opposition to Trudeau’s “immoral” infringements on their freedoms.
The atmosphere of unity keeps them warm. More are on their way pic.twitter.com/ER3FtbXmP5— Mocha Bezirgan (@BezirganMocha) January 29, 2022
Residents of the nation’s capital could hear loud honking for hours, a huge column snaked its streets.
Canada~Ottawa 🇨🇦🙏❤
This scene has been going on for hours! Cars & Truckers loudly honking, entering the capital city.#FreedomConvoy2022 #CanadianTruckers #OttawaConvoy pic.twitter.com/LuixL1cBy8— JamieLynn_TrumpGrl💋 (@2jamielynn) January 29, 2022
While many complained about the honking on social media, the protesters were in a much better mood. They lit fireworks in celebration of the protest.
Ottawa tonight.
Canada is waking up. 🇨🇦#ConvoyForFreedom2022 #Canada #CanadianTruckers #CanadaTruckers #FreedomConvoy2022 #Ottawa pic.twitter.com/qKUJTeUWH9— CanadianPatriot1974 (@CPatriot1974) January 30, 2022
Protesters accompanied the trucks with cheers, while others donated some $5.4 to a GoFundMe to fund the protest. The donations were intended to cover fuel cost, as well as food and lodgings for the truckers.
Trump, Musk Support Truckers
Together with supporters in Ottawa, the truckers also received support abroad. This includes some major endorsements. For instance, former President Donald Trump said in a rally that he’s “with them all the way.”
“The Canadian truckers who are resisting bravely these lawless mandates are doing more to defend our freedoms than our leaders by far. We want to know these great Canadian truckers that we are with them all the way,” Trump said.
NOW – Trump: "Canadian truckers… we’re with them all the way."pic.twitter.com/zihPH0WYio
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) January 30, 2022
Even the billionaire Elon Musk came out in support of the protests. Yesterday, the CEO of Tesla called out a cartoonist depicting protesters as fascists.
“If Canadian government is suppressing peaceful protests, that‘s where fascism lies & cartoonist is just a shill,” Musk said.
Cartoon for January 28, 2022. #fascism #supplychain pic.twitter.com/2H0KXqkbMY
— Michael de Adder (@deAdder) January 28, 2022
While many decried the truckers over social media, others resorted to potentially illegal acts. Some counterprotesters littered the roads with nails, hoping that the trucks would not come through.