A Canadian government official on Sunday powerfully pointed out how truckers’ bullying, destructive weekslong shutdown against COVID-19 vaccines and other health measures does not constitute a fight for freedom.
“A blockade is not freedom, it blocks the liberty of all,” tweeted Bob Rae, Canada’s representative to the United Nations.
“A demand to overthrow a government is not a dialogue. The expression of hatred is not a difference of opinion,” Rae added. And in a declaration just as dead-on south of the border, he noted: “A lie is not the truth.”
A truck is not a speech. A horn is not a voice. An occupation is not a protest. A blockade is not freedom, it blocks the liberty of all. A demand to overthrow a government is not a dialogue. The expression of hatred is not a difference of opinion. A lie is not the truth.
— Bob Rae (@BobRae48) February 20, 2022
Rae issued his comments after vaccine-protesting truckers — the darlings of right-wing American politicians — paralyzed downtown Ottawa for weeks and blockaded the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, choking off critical supplies to American auto plants.
Associations representing Canadian truckers denounced the actions, saying the vast majority of their members were vaccinated and continuing to work.
Amid tweets about the truckers, Rae later retweeted comments by Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, about an apt “60 Minutes” interview Sunday with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. In the tweet, Champagne characterized Ukraine standing up to Russia as part of a “global struggle between democracies and authoritian regimes, between those who want to play by the rules and those who want to rewrite rules in their favour.”
Great interview with @DmytroKuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister. His words express what’s at stake here:
“It’s about a global struggle between democracies and authoritian regimes, between those who want to play by the rules and those who want to rewrite rules in their favour”. https://t.co/aXpxfPDbQm
— François-Philippe Champagne (FPC) ???????? (@FP_Champagne) February 21, 2022
Michael Kempa, an associate criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, told CBC News that he views the truckers’ anti-vaccine fight largely as cover for a deeply authoritarian movement funded by American and global interests out to undermine the rule of law and Canada’s government. Jason LaFace of Canada Unity, one of the organizers of the trucker protest, has called for the dissolution of Canada’s Parliament.
Canadian police on Friday used pepper spray and stun grenades to start clearing out the remaining trucks and truckers from downtown Ottawa. The Ambassador Bridge blockade was cleared a week ago, though authorities fear protesters will return. Right-wing websites are currently raising funds for similar protests in the U.S.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
