ottawa

Truckers Convoy Overview

Truckers Convoy Overview

Canadian Trucker Convoy 2022- Our perspective

I'm halfway hesitant to write this blog post.  My previous three posts about the Ottawa protests tell how calm and caring the truckers and others were.  I don't really want to distract from that but I also think it is important to counter at least some of the lies the media, police and certain politicians, (he who must not be named), are telling. 

No-one threw bicycles at horses.

No-one from the protesters threw gasoline at the police.

No-one was desecrating the War Memorial.

No-one was desecrating the Terry Fox Memorial.

The protesters that were supporting the truckers and the truckers themselves were completely non violent. 

Do you know how I know? 

WE WERE THERE!! 

We interacted with truckers and supporters alike.  Not one ‘nasty’ flag.  Apparently there was one flag with a swastika on the first weekend, only long enough for a photo op.  The man and flag were chased away by protesters.  And one Confederate Flag, also chased away very quickly.

“Bicycle” Incident

As I mentioned earlier, there was no bicycle.  The police on the horses  rode over a woman that was in a small mobility unit.  She needed that to get around.  Because the horses were trotting instead of walking, there was no way she would have been able to get away in time.  Remember that this was a peaceful, legal demonstration…  regardless of what the PM says to the contrary.   One officer lunged his horse into the crowd.  

I’ve seen police use horses in actual violent protests.  One example was in the Toronto Riot (Rodney King) in 1992.  The police there used about a dozen horses and calmly walked through the crowd and completely dispersed them.  With absolutely no harm done by the horses to the crowd.  I was there as well and watched how beautifully the Toronto Police handled the situation.

Yesterday, in every aspect of what the police did, it looked like they were trying to get the protesters riled to the point of violence.  And that never happened. 

The only violence perpetrated was by the Ottawa police and the help they had, whoever they were. 

When the police started confronting and herding the protesters, there was one man that was getting a bit irritated and loud. Several protesters pulled him back from the police blockade and calmed him down.  I believe there were a few other instances of this.

That was the general handling of anything that was untoward.  Other protesters would sort it out very quickly. 

Please read my earlier three posts of how calm and peaceful it was earlier in the week.

My wife and I feel like we are going back and forth between alternate realities.  We spend the day at the protests, meeting and speaking to truckers and others.  Then in the morning in the cafeteria at the hotel we watch the news.  And that news was completely different than what we witnessed the day before.  It was surreal.  Almost nothing the same.

The latest is the new police chief Ottawa (the third in the last two weeks - they keep quitting) saying that that photos and video have been photoshopped. And that there was no mobility walker for the woman that was knocked over.  Try telling that to the thousands of people that watched the live feed.

Someone here is trying to rewrite history as it happens. 

Some photos below of the Terry Fox Memorial, Unknown Soldier and more.  The tuba player spent most of the time playing Oh Canada.

Please take a moment to look at the other three earlier posts.  They will, hopefully, give a feel of what it was like walking around during the demonstrations.

DAY ONE DAY TWO  | DAY THREE

Posted by Marty in Blog, 0 comments
Canadian Truckers for Freedom – Our Day 2

Canadian Truckers for Freedom – Our Day 2

Truckers for Freedom - Our 2nd Day

Yesterday was our second full day here in Ottawa at the Freedom Rally

One of the most telling things about the day was how truly calm everything was.  How anyone could conceive this event to be anywhere near violent is beyond me. 

We spent several hours walking about.  More people from all over the country, and all walks of life, all colours, shapes and sizes.  They just walk up to us and start chatting.

Toward the end of our walk a young man (well, he was 60 - young to me) was coming along the in the same direction.  He overheard me telling Yvonne about another conversation I had with a Hungarian man.  This new fellow, Chris, lives in Ottawa.  He was thrilled that we were here supporting the truckers.  Chris, amongst other things would bring his Ottawa friends down to see the Convoy.  He told us that he tries to come there most days.  He tells friends that have listened to the media and are afraid that “I will protect you.” One for one, they thank him afterwards for showing them what is really going on.  They see that there is no violence and nothing to be afraid of.

Our friends from home have been living in a truck for most of the last, almost three weeks.  We went for dinner (very late lunch?) and then brought them to our hotel to get some time away and relax a bit.  Someone else offered them a room for the night and I got an message later that they were doing much better - not so stressed.

It really is hard to find words that express the caring, love and kindness that pervades the area.  Truckers and supporters all.

One comment from a police officer in the area, “I have never been to such a peaceful demonstration.”

If you are hearing from anyone in the media that is different from what I’m trying to relay here, I encourage you to either come to see for yourself, or at least speak to someone (other than media) that has been on the ground and walked among these good people.

#truckers4freedom #convoy #truckers #ottawa

Posted by Marty in Blog, 1 comment