Truckers were everywhere: their long trailers were parked on side roads, making it impossible for cars to drive around. A convoy of trucks and tractors were gridlocking the downtown core: Residents of Sandy Hill, CentreTown, and LowerTown could no longer leave their homes to go to work, for fear of not being able to return in the evening. Neither the regular OC Transpo service, nor the Para Services, could offer transportation to or from the gridlocked areas, leaving many residents captives in their own homes.
A cacophony of sounds ripped through the air, prompting dwellers to take steps and file a class action suit against the self-labelled Freedom Convoy. Air horns from hundreds of trucks were being sounded at all times, including the overnight hours when most people were hoping for a reprieve from the unending discord on the streets. The Convoy leaders had agreed to end the noise on Sunday morning, but many truckers disregarded the arrangement and blew their horns anyway.
A few of the truckers had brought and erected bouncy castles, portable sauna houses, and tents. A temporary wooden building was constructed, and in it were a cooking station, and various food supplies. A chain link fence was erected to secure many propane tanks as well as hundreds of jerry cans filled with fuel. One man had perched a lawn chair on the top of his motor home, and sat on his roof drinking coffee while in the background the sun set on Parliament Hill. A hand-painted sign taped to his motor home read “Freedom”.
Originally the trucking convoy stated that they wanted Prime Minister Trudeau to reverse his policy on cross border vaccination. As more participants joined the protest, demands escalated to include a full rescinding of all covid mandates and the removal or resignation of Trudeau from cabinet.
It appeared as though the protestors were no longer governed by individual morals or values: decisions that a unique individual might make on their own where now replaced by mob mentality, largely based on emotional reactions instead of rational thought.
What brought these people to demonstrate in such an insensitive and uncaring manner?
They called themselves champions of freedom, yet they had occupied the downtown core of Ottawa and prevented businesses from opening and residents from living their normal lives. Some residents have been harassed because they chose to wear a mask outdoors. Other residents have been recipients of hate filled slurs, outright aggression, and damage to property. The local homeless shelter was overrun with truckers who stole food from patrons, and supplies from the shelter. An upside-down Canadian Flag was hung across the Terry Fox statue, swastika signs were brandished on the slopes of Parliament Hill, and a demonstrator was filmed dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Where was the common humanity in this crowd?
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