Trucker protest passes through GTA as crowds line route of 'Freedom Convoy'
Hundreds of people lined highway overpasses on Thursday with some even spilling onto an on ramp as a trucker convoy protesting vaccine mandates at the border made its way through the Greater Toronto Area.
The group of truckers began a cross-country trip in British Columbia over the weekend en route to Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
There are at least two groups – one which is headed straight for the nation’s capital via northern Ontario and another that began in southwestern Ontario and transited through the GTA.
In advance of the rolling protest arriving in the region, police had warned drivers to expect “significant delays” and traffic was in fact brought to a standstill at various points on Thursday.
Provincial police also had to close the on ramp from Keele Street to westbound Highway 401 for several hours after demonstrators spilled onto the roadway.
ORGANIZERS INSIST PROTEST MEANT TO BE PEACEFUL
The protest, dubbed “the Freedom Convoy,” was initially organized in response to a new rule prohibiting unvaccinated truckers from crossing the border without quarantining.
But numerous individuals participating in the demonstration have since indicated that it is about various other policies that they say infringe on their freedoms.
There have also been concerns about some groups with extremist beliefs attaching themselves to the protest.
Organizers have insisted that the protest is peaceful, however there have been reports of journalists being harassed by individuals who have gathered along the route.
On Thursday CP24’s Steve Ryan said that several people kicked the tires on his vehicle while he was reporting from the gathering point at Vaughan Mills.
A Canadian Press photographer also reported being shoved and spat on by convoy supporters as he tried to cover the protest.
Meanwhile, the OPP had to issue an “alert” just before 11 a.m. to draw attention to the fact that emergency responders were experiencing difficulty navigating the “congested traffic” on some routes.
“When you see and talk to the people that are in this convoy we are family,” organizer Harold Jonker told CP24 on Thursday when asked about concerns that there could be violence or property damage when demonstrators arrive at Parliament Hill this weekend.
“I have my wife with me, my brother has kids with him, my brother-in-law has his kids with him. There's husbands and wives, there's all kinds of different nationalities and I have yet to see any violence. It is not going to happen.”
OTTAWA POLICE EXPRESS CONCERNS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested that there is a "small fringe minority of people” associated with the protest who hold “unacceptable views" when it comes to public health restrictions. He has said that those individuals "do not represent the views of Canadians."
But the demonstrators who spoke with CP24 said that they believe Canadians are behind them.
At the same time police in Ottawa have said they are aware of “inappropriate and threatening language on social media” related to the event and in a series of messages posted to Twitter warned of “consequences for persons engaging in criminal conduct, violence and/or activities promoting hate.”
“When you look at the protests (against vaccine mandates) that have happened over the last year there's never been a violent protest. Why all of a sudden do we think we're going to have one today? We're not,” Jonker told CP24, adding that he has already been in touch with Ottawa police regarding keeping this weekend's protest safe.
According to a Maru Public Opinion survey of more than 1,500 Canadians released earlier on Thursday fewer than one-in-three respondents (28 per cent) believe that unvaccinated truckers should be able to cross the U.S.-Canada land border freely without restrictions. The remaining two-thirds of respondents said that there should either be no exemption for unvaccinated truckers (36 per cent) or they should be required to produce a negative COVID-19 test result.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.