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What is Freedom Convoy? Here's why Canadian truckers are protesting in Ottawa

Canadian truckers are protesting outside Ottawa and here is why.

Canada right now is witnessing a convoy of big rigs that has arrived at the national capital to protest vaccine mandates and safety protocols to prevent further spreading of Covid-19. The convoy had been in a week-long drive across Canada before arriving at the national capital. BBC reported that "the movement was sparked by a vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the US-Canada border, implemented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government earlier this month."

The movement has been dubbed the Freedom Convoy. 

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What is the Freedom Convoy?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently implemented a new vaccine mandate where unvaccinated Canadian truckers crossing the US-Canada border would have to remain in quarantine once they have returned home. A loose coalition of truckers and conservative groups across the country are highly upset by this and have begun protesting against the mandate. The movement gathered more supporters and snowballed as it drove east.

The movement contains a large number of people who are opposed to Trudeau's Liberal government and have expressed their frustration over his pandemic measures and safety protocols. According to BBC, "Social media and news footage showed trucks and companion vehicles snaking along highways, cheered on by people gathered on roadsides and overpasses, often waving Canadian flags and signs disparaging Mr Trudeau."

The protest is being harshly criticized by a lot of people. Nevertheless, it has caught the attention of influential people outside Canadian borders. Podcaster Joe Rogan, Donald Trump Jr, and Russel Brand have shown their support for the movement. The convoy so far has been a peaceful one. Organizers have kept in touch with the police and have cooperated; but police have declared that they are prepared in case violence arises.  

The protesters will be staying in downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill for the weekend and perhaps more. Their demands however have gone up from taking down the border vaccine mandate to taking down all vaccine mandates that have so far been implemented. "We want to be free, we want to have our choice again, and we want hope - and the government has taken that away," Harold Jonker, a truck driver and trucking company owner, told the BBC as he drove through the town of Brockville, about 115 km (72 miles) from Ottawa on Friday.

The Law Enforcement's Opinions 

Police and law enforcement in Canada have expressed their concern over the extremist rhetoric and far-right groups that the convoy has attracted. Both of these groups are also purportedly heading towards Ottawa. Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly spoke to BBC on Friday. "The demonstrations this weekend will be unique - fluid, risky, and significant," Sloly said, mentioning that they are 'massive in scale and unfortunately polarising in nature.' He also mentioned that the police are preparing for potential parallel and counter-demonstrations that could occur.

There is also rising concern about the Canadian and non-Canadian population who are actively present on social media "who may or may not come to the city" but "who are nonetheless inciting hate, violence and in some cases criminality". Organizers of the protest have declared that extremists are not welcome to take part in the movement with them and have been urging participants to report misbehavior if they see any. 

The Potential 'Unintended' Consequences

Trudeau denounced the convoy this week, calling the supporters a fringe minority since 80% of Canada's population is fully vaccinated. In spite of the statistics that favour Trudeau, the movement has in fact managed to draw support from several Conservative politicians who have said that it has become a "symbol of the fatigue and division" felt in Canada two years into the pandemic. 

The convoy is made up mostly by frustrated truckers who do not want to quarantine after crossing the border, but the new vaccine mandate has had impact apart from that as well. Like every other country, Canada is experiencing a rise in inflation as well. The supply chain has already been disturbed because of the pandemic, shortage of labour, and various other things including bad weather. "Prices are on the rise, including for food and petrol. It's been getting harder to find some products on grocery store shelves - and Canada's economy is heavily dependent on the men and women who drive the vast majority of food and goods consumed in in the country across the border," BBC wrote. 

Truck drivers are considered essential workers and were earlier exempt from vaccine mandates. The Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates that 85% to 90% of the 120,000 Canadian truckers who work cross-border routes are vaccinated. It is also to be noted that many protesters participating in the convoy have no link to the industry whatsoever. The alliance is not in favour of the convoy and believes that the industry must adapt to the mandate. At the same time, it is to be noted that the mandate could remove as many as 16,000 workers from the industry.

"Everything that Canadians depend on - food, clothing, electronics - everything arrives" on the back of trucks, Ambarish Chandra, an associate professor at the Rotman School of Management who studies the US-Canada border, told the BBC. He also said that he's "wary" of the mandate as "there's a real threat of unintended consequences".