Several Conservative MPs have made an appearance at the “Freedom Convoy” rally in Ottawa that began on Jan. 29 , giving their support to the truckers who oppose the federal COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, while others didn’t attend but said they back the effort.
In a video recorded at the event, Poilievre elaborated on what the rally stands for.
“It’s a rally for truckers, but it’s also a rally for the 60 percent of Canadians who said they were worried they can’t afford food; it’s for the 60-year-old small businesses man who spent his entire adult life building up an enterprise and watching it wiped out; it’s for the depressed 14-year-old who’s been locked out of school; it’s for the families that can’t take it anymore; it’s for the people that want to stand up and speak for their freedoms; it’s for all those our government and media have insulted and left behind; it’s for the people who worked hard to put food on our table and stock our shelves and make this country work—and that’s why we are gathered here today,” he said.
“Freedom, not fear. Truckers, not Trudeau.”
The “Freedom Convoy” began as a protest against the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truck drivers crossing the Canada-U.S. border, but has since expanded to a call for all COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted.
The first convoy set off from the West Coast on Jan. 23, and more trucks join from across the country, converging in Ottawa this weekend for a massive demonstration that will likely continue into next week. Smaller rallies are being held in other cities at the same time.
The Ottawa rally also received support from Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who said in a statement that truckers deserve a “special thank you” for their services that kept the selves stocked and the economy going throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Jan. 22, the Biden administration initiated vaccination requirements for non-U.S. nationals entering the country who are not vaccinated, including Canadian truck drivers.
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole met with truckers on Jan. 28, but didn’t attend the rally.
“Whoever flew this flag is personally responsible for that reprehensible decision and should be eternally ashamed of him or herself,” he wrote.
“He or she does not represent the thousands of peaceful protesters who waved Canadian flags and acted responsibly. I stand with them and will continue to fight for them.”
Several Conservative MPs backed Cooper, and also pushed back against reports that frame the freedom convoy and its participants as far-right extremists.
Tory MP Garnett Genuis retweeted Cooper’s statement and said it was “pretty bizarre” that some in the media are trying to blame him, even though he wasn’t aware the flag was behind him.
Former Conservative MP Stockwell Day also criticized the media for amplifying the conduct of the few wrongdoers among thousands of well-behaved protesters.
“We will regain our freedom in 2022,” he said in a video posted on Twitter. “Today we are doing something that will be in the history books.”
“The trucker convoy, dubbed the “Freedom Convoy” – even by a mostly unwelcoming media – became a symbol for pandemic fatigue and, I believe, growing opposition to illiberal restrictions on Canadians,” he wrote.
“Truckers were called unsung heroes at the start of the pandemic. I believe Canadian truckers are still our heroes after almost two years living with COVID-19. They keep Canada moving and I am adding my voice to the belief that it is time to end lockdown restrictions and to put the emphasis on fixing our underperforming healthcare system to manage the coronavirus.
“Shuttering society to save the health system is no longer an acceptable choice.”
