What is happening in Canada? What (and who) is behind the protests blocking downtown Ottawa

Downtown Ottawa, capital of Canadahas been paralyzed for almost two weeks: hundreds of people and trucks have been blocking the streets around Parliament since the end of January to demand an end to vaccination mandates against COVID-19. Meanwhile, the city is in state of emergency and the protests spread to several border crossings with the United States, causing a significant economic impact. They have even begun to be imitated in other countries.

But, How it all started? The call ‘Freedom Convoy‘ (“freedom convoy”), a caravan of vehicles across Canada to the capital, was opposed, in principle, to the compulsory vaccination for cross-border carriersthat, if they were not vaccinated, they would have to quarantine, a measure introduced by the Executive of Justin Trudeau in the middle of last month.

However, according to the Reuters agency, the plans to organize this caravan were already underway before and the majority of truckers do not support it. The Canadian Trucking Alliancee – a federation of truckers’ associations – asserts that blockades on Canadian highways are costing the industry significant losses and making it difficult for workers to maintain supplies.

The entity maintains that many of the vehicles and individuals involved are not part of the transport industry and that the “vast majority” of Canadian truck drivers are vaccinated.

In any case, supported and fed by the right, the protests have expanded to oppose a whole series of measures against the coronavirus: according to ‘Guardian‘, under the umbrella of the ‘Canada Unity’ group, organizer of the ‘Freedom Convoy’, brings together a myriad of anti-vaccine and right-wing activistsas well as QAnon figures.

According to the Efe agency, among the protesters there are people opposed to the restrictions due to the pandemic, anti-vaccine and radical far-right groupswho have declared that they will not abandon the occupation of the center of the capital until remove all restrictions. The hard core even demands Trudeau’s departure. Confederate flags and swastikas have been seen at the protests, according to Reuters.

A significant economic impact

the protests already affect several border crossings between Canada and the US, generating a millionaire economic impact on trade. In addition, the big car manufacturers have been forced to reduce their production due to the lack of supplies. The ambassador bridgethe most important land crossing between the two countries -connecting the Canadian city of Windsor with Detroit-, has been blocked for several days, affecting General Motors, Ford, Stellantis and Toyota plants on both sides of the border.

In turn, this Thursday a caravan of vehicles obstructed traffic in the vicinity of the ottawa airport. The Police of the Canadian capital – which has issued a message to the protesters in which it indicates that obstructing, interrupting or interfering with the legitimate use of property is a crime – has so far arrested 25 people in relation to the protests and put more than 1,550 fines. In addition, a judge has granted a temporary injunction to restrict the use of loudspeakers in the city center.

For now, the prime minister Trudeau He has not met with protest organizers. Upon the arrival of the convoy in Ottawa, even moved to a secret location outside the capital, to which he has already returned. Through Twitter, in the last hours he has pointed out that the blockades in Windsor and Ottawa are “putting jobs in danger, impeding trade, threatening the economy and obstructing communities” and has asserted that “they must end”.

Meanwhile, the protests are already being imitated in other countries, such as Australia, New Zealand or France. But what do Canadians think? A recent poll, cited by Reuters, indicates that 62% oppose the ‘Freedom Convoy’, in a country where almost 79% of the population is vaccinated with both doses.