Covid-19: in Canada, the demonstrations continue, Trudeau dismisses the idea of ​​​​calling in the army

In a trail of diesel, the protest against the latest Covid health restrictions is spreading across the country: as truck drivers advance, rallying opponents of all kinds. Antivax, anti-measures, anti-government, far-right activists, all have been mobilized for more than a week. With a day and a half in advance of the big demonstration scheduled for tomorrow Saturday, a first truck convoy arrived in Quebec on Thursday evening. They were greeted by supporters near the National Assembly hill, secured by the police. “We are tired. We are not antivax, said a supporter to Radio-Canada. Me, I am doubly vaccinated (…) I work in the restaurant business. We've been closed four times in two years. I think it may be time for us to move on”.

The demonstrators must be joined by other trucks this Friday, as well as a convoy piloted by a man who last August organized a "Gallic Festival" against the health measures taken to fight against the Covid.

Kevin Bilodeau wants to “jam” Quebec, which could be translated as “ambient”.

200 trucks block the capital Ottawa

As in Toronto, the nation's most populous city and its financial hub, where a similar protest is being announced, law enforcement is unaware if protesters plan to stay, as in central Ottawa.

More than 200 trucks and other vehicles have been blocking streets in the nation's capital downtown since last Friday.

On Wednesday, the city's police chief indicated weapons were being smuggled into the protest and said resorting to the military was an option, but on Thursday evening the Canadian prime minister dismissed the idea.

“There is no question for the moment of sending the army”, declared Justin Trudeau, considering that it was necessary to be “very, very careful before deploying the army when Canadian citizens are involved”.

In solitary confinement since testing positive on Monday, he again called on protesters to leave, an option rejected by them.

"Our departure will be when the Prime Minister does the right thing and puts an end to all obligations and restrictions," said Tamara Lich, one of the leaders of the movement, at a press conference on Thursday.

"Our movement has grown in Canada and around the world (a few convoys have been organized in Latin American countries, editor's note) because ordinary people are tired of the obligations and restrictions in their lives that seem now do more harm than good,” she told a news conference.

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Canada: angry truck drivers gathered in Ottawa

The inhabitants of Ottawa testify to a certain fed up with the blockages in the center and their impact on traffic.

Especially since, among the demonstrators, some waved Nazi flags, harassed people of foreign origin and threatened journalists.

Ottawa police have made just three arrests so far, and issued 30 tickets on Wednesday.

More than 6 million euros collected in support

But the support is unprecedented: Protesters have raised more than 10 million Canadian dollars (6.88 million euros) on crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, which has suspended payouts while it checks how the money is being spent. The House of Commons voted on Thursday to summon the company's leaders. They will have to respond quickly to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, and explain how they ensure that "the funds are not used to promote extremism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred. that have been expressed among the organizers" of the convoy.

Originally, the "freedom convoy" was formed to denounce the obligation of vaccination to cross the American border.

Since January 15, the unvaccinated must self-isolate for 14 days at home when returning to Canada from the United States.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance says more than 85% of the 120,000 Canadian truckers who regularly cross the U.S. border are vaccinated, and the measure could put 16,000 drivers on hold, which could further complicate matters. of the supply chain of the different provinces.

Read alsoCovid-19: Quebec, this hell for the unvaccinated

These demonstrations are also an opportunity to settle scores within the Conservative Party, divided against the Trudeau Liberals.

Federal Conservative lawmakers ousted Leader Erin O'Toole on Wednesday, citing his poor showing in the election loss to the Liberals last September and his initial, mixed support for the protests.

Former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer and other parliamentarians then posed with the truckers, a move Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson called "absolute disgrace."