Freedom Convoy Protesters Believed They Were ‘Patriotic’ and Stood up for ‘Rights’: Spy Service Analysis

A woman dances and waves a Canadian flag during the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa on Feb. 12, 2022. Noé Chartier/The Epoch Times

People who took part in the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa this past winter believed they were being patriotic and standing up for civil liberties, says a declassified briefing by Canada’s spy service.

“The Canadian flag was the most prevalent flag on display in the crowd, likely reflecting participants’ belief that they are patriotic Canadians standing up for their democratic rights,” says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) analytical brief obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter and reviewed by The Epoch Times.

The brief, dated Feb. 2, 2022, focuses on the flags and other imagery seen at the trucker-led protest, which began on Jan. 29 and was dispersed three weeks later after the Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act.

During the first days of the protest, a Nazi flag and a few Confederate flags were seen displayed, which the prime minister honed in on.

“We vigorously condemn the hatred and the intolerance that we have seen in the streets of Ottawa over the past number of days,” said Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons on Jan. 31.

Meanwhile, CSIS commented on the “small number of flags” reflecting “racist and bigoted world views.”

“The presence of these flags ... is not unique to this event and are often seen at anti-lockdown/mandate events across the country,” says the briefing marked “Secret/Canadian Eyes Only.”

Several parts of the briefing were redacted, but most of those parts were initially marked “Unclassified,” indicating that the information likely came from open sources.

CSIS described the protest as being part of the broader movement against COVID restrictions and having been sparked by truckers opposed to the vaccination mandate at the border that came into force in mid-January.

“As with any movement, only a small, fringe element supports the use of violence or might be willing to engage in it,” says the briefing.

CSIS said the protesters were united by their opposition to COVID-19 restrictions, expressing grievances against policies and actions such as vaccine mandates and government “overreach.”

‘Relevance of Flags’

The CSIS brief was produced by the organization’s Intelligence Assessments Branch (IAB), staffed by career intelligence analysts with subject-matter expertise.

The brief’s section “The Relevance of Flags” provides a summary analysis of the different imagery displayed by the protesters.

It noted that some of the Canadian and provincial flags were being flown upside down “likely as an indication of the bearer’s belief that [the] nation is in distress.”

CSIS also provided its interpretation of drawn swastikas that appeared on placards and flags.

It said this was “not necessarily to self-identify as Nazis ... but to imply that the prime minister and federal government are acting like Nazis ... by imposing public health mandates.”

Conservative MP Michael Cooper had been criticized and asked to apologize for meeting with the convoy protesters and being filmed in front of one such Canadian flag featuring a hand-drawn swastika.

“We want the rest of the country to know that MP Cooper’s presence at this rally in no way reflects the values of Edmontonians and St. Albertans,” Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, a former Liberal cabinet minister, tweeted on Jan. 30

Cooper, who represents the Alberta riding of St. Albert-Edmonton, later issued a statement in defence of his attendance at the protest, saying, “Whoever flew this flag is personally responsible for that reprehensible decision and should be eternally ashamed of him or herself.”

The brief also commented on the presence of symbols such as the Patriotes flag (associated with Quebec nationalism), the Gadsen flag (“Don’t Tread on Me”), and the Mohawk Warrior flag.

“Often, these flags have been used by more than one group/cause, thereby making it difficult to determine any particular allegiance of the bearer without additional context and nuance,” according to the brief.

A protester with a Mohawk warrior flag dances on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022. Noé Chartier/The Epoch Times

Presence of Extremists

The CSIS brief alluded to the presence of extremists within the convoy, suggesting it was tracking some of those individuals while saying it wasn’t aware of the presence of specific groups per se.

“Aside from individuals who specifically identified themselves as part of the convoy group, the Service is unaware of the presence of IMVE groups at this weekend’s protest,” says the brief.

“IMVE” is the acronym for “Ideologically-motivated violent extremism,” a catch-all concept adopted by the government in recent years. It encompasses political violence from across the spectrum, but CSIS is largely focused on violence from the right.

Similarly, various types of terrorism linked to religious causes are no longer described by specific qualifiers but rather called “religiously-motivated violent extremism.”

The first portion of the section titled “Implications” in the brief, where CSIS provided its assessment of the issue, was redacted.

The latter part indicated that “Freedom of expression is constitutionally protected in Canada.”

“CSIS investigative thresholds may be met once a threat actor facilitates or advocates for serious violence in support or furtherance of ideological, political or religious objectives with the intent of affecting societal change.”

It adds that CSIS doesn’t investigate “lawful advocacy, protest or dissent,” unless it is linked to activities considered a threat to national security under the CSIS Act.

CSIS Director David Vigneault and his deputy Michelle Tessier are set to testify at the Public Order Emergency Commission, whose public hearings began on Oct. 13. A commission is required by law after an invocation of the the Emergencies Act.