Canada convoy protest

Protest goals The protest called for the end of vaccine mandates in Canada during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Freedom Convoy's spokesperson Benjamin Dichter wstated on Fox News that, "we want to get rid of the vaccine mandates and the [vaccine] passports. And that passport, that's the really concerning one." The organizers of the original mid-January crowdsourced fundraising campaign on GoFundMe, Tamara Lich and Dichter, both of whom are not long-haul truckers, described the goal of the truck convoy, from across Canada to the nation's capital, as a demonstration against the newly implemented January 15 federal cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandate, targeting long-haul truck drivers, according to a January 28, 2022 CTV News article. Several protesters voiced opposition to perceived authoritarianism and corruption by Justin Trudeau, stating they wanted him "out of office", while others said, "this is not an anti-vaccination movement, this is a freedom movement." For example, Canada Unity's Ontario organizer for the convoy, Jason LaFace, said that the intent of the Canada Unity protest was to dissolve the federal government. Initial events and the start of the protest On November 16, 2021, Canada Border Services Agency officers refused truck driver Brigitte Belton entry to Canada at the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel due to her failure to wear a face mask. At the October 2022 Public Order Emergency Commission, commission lawyer Stephen Armstrong stated that Belton vented her frustration via her TikTok feed before using the platform to connect with Chris Barber and later initiated the planning of the Canada convoy protest. Armstrong said that Belton, Chris Barber, and James Bauder all took part in a Facebook live event on January 13, 2022, to plan the protest's route and logistics. The next day, Tamara Lich started the fundraiser for the protest. Some of the donors participating in the protest's GoFundMe campaign were from the United States, who have been accused of propagating exaggerated claims about the protest, or making unfounded claims about the roles and actions of Canadian authorities and politicians with respect to the protest. The protest was endorsed by Trump, who, during his first presidency, regularly clashed with Trudeau over policy differences. In response to the convoy, Trump referred to Trudeau as a "far-left lunatic" who "has destroyed Canada", and invited protesters to organize on Truth Social, his social network. Some commentators, for example, have called the Freedom Convoy an example of Canadian Trumpism. Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of Canada and future prime minister, strongly criticized the foreign involvement in "the sedition in Ottawa," describing donors as "foreign funders of an insurrection" who had "interfered in our domestic affairs." Fundraising Fundraising started on January 14, 2022, through the crowdsourced fundraising platform GoFundMe. Listed as organizers were Tamara Lich, secretary of the western separatist Maverick Party, and B. J. Dichter, a 2015 federal Conservative Party candidate now associated with the People's Party of Canada. The Maverick Party has denied involvement in the convoy and said it was not the recipient of any funds raised. On January 27, GoFundMe released the initial CA$1 million of the funds after the organizers had provided a distribution plan. On February 2, GoFundMe flagged the fundraiser for review and paused donations, saying it was investigating to ensure the fundraiser was in compliance with the platform's terms of service. The fundraiser had raised from approximately 120,000 donors. On February 3, the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) called on GoFundMe officials to testify before it, to respond to concerns about the origin of the funds raised and to ensure they would not be used to "promote extremism". Members of Parliament also called on the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), Canada's financial intelligence agency, to appear before the committee. CBC News reported that a third of the donations were anonymous or used false names for the publicly visible part of the campaign, attempting to prevent their doxxing, and that commenters on the fundraiser claimed to be from the United States, United Kingdom, and other countries. The Attorney General of Ontario sought and was granted an Ontario Superior Court of Justice court order under Section 490.8 of the Criminal Code of Canada against GiveSendGo, and prohibit their distribution. The court order binds "any and all parties with possession or control over these donations". Most accounts had been unfrozen by February 23. In response to the efforts taken to block protestors from accessing funds via GoFundMe and other methods, reports surfaced of Bitcoin being used as an alternative source for fundraising. Individual protestors have been reported as receiving bitcoin, sometimes as much as US$8,000 equivalent. Donor list hacked On February 13, 2022, the GiveSendGo website was hacked and its data on donations was released to journalists and researchers through Distributed Denial of Secrets. Four days later, it was revealed that the hacker who had claimed credit, Aubrey Cottle, had been threatened with murder. In the meantime, GiveSendGo had contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to see if he could be prosecuted. Of the 92,845 donations, 55.7 per cent of donors were from the United States, and 39 per cent from Canada. Many of the American donors' names correspond to the names of Donald Trump donors. Some members of the Ontario Provincial Police were revealed to have donated to the convoy on GiveSendGo, prompting the OPP to launch an internal conduct investigation. The American publication Politico reported that American right-wing commentators Dan Bongino and Ben Shapiro were among those directing support to the Canadian movement's crowdfunding websites. Based on research by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, from January 28 to February 5, a link to the original Freedom Convoy GoFundMe campaign was posted at least two dozen times on 4chan. According to Politico, white supremacist channels on Telegram also repeatedly shared the link. On March 3, GoFundMe executive Juan Benitez testified to the House of Commons that 86 per cent of the donors to the original GoFundMe campaign were Canadian, and 88 per cent of the donated funds to the original campaign were from Canadians. Benitez added that GoFundMe did not identify any donors to the campaign that were affiliated with terrorist or organized crime groups. Vaccine mandates and passports During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine mandates targeting federal public servants in the Core Public Administration were announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in October 2021. Several government departments and organizations faced forced administrative leaves without pay if they failed to ensure employees were vaccinated by October 30, 2021. In a February 11 Bloomberg News interview with Canadian Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan, Amanda Lang said that "a lot of the mandates being protested here are [not federal but] provincial mandates". O'Regan clarified that "jurisdiction is clearly laid out in our Constitution" COVID-19-related responses, including those related to vaccinations are the responsibility of provinces and territories which provide free health services in their own jurisdictions. At the federal level, dialogues were undertaken with other Group of Seven nations, the World Health Organization, and the International Civil Aviation Organization regarding passports"reliable and secure proof of vaccination credentials". Regulations regarding international borders are reciprocal; they are enacted and enforced by both countries which share the border, involving federal agencies including Transport Canada, and in the United States, Homeland Security and CDC. For example, some provincial and territorial governments imposed "tougher lockdowns" to attempt to slow the spread of Covid-19. On November 19, 2021, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced upcoming adjustments to Canada's border measures. This would include the requirement for essential service providers, including truck drivers, to be fully vaccinated after January 15, 2022. The announcement clarified that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign national truck drivers would be prohibited from entering Canada after that date. Unvaccinated Canadian truck drivers could enter Canada but would have to quarantine for two weeks. According to the Canadian Press and CBC, as of January 22, the mandates were estimated to harm an estimated 26,000 unvaccinated truckers of the 160,000 truck drivers who regularly cross the border in both the United States and Canada. An October 21, 2021, federal briefing said that the provinces and territorieswho hold all of the vaccination informationare responsible for providing the vaccine passport that Canadians needed to travel internationally, using "existing provincial proof of vaccination systems". By 2022, all provinces and territories had "vaccine passports with the QR code that meets the recommended Canadian standard for domestic and international travel". There is no federal mandate for COVID-19 vaccines in Canada. With healthcare capacity spread "too thin" during the "rising fifth wave driven by the Omicron variant" in early January 2022, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos's suggestion of mandatory COVID-19 vaccines was rejected by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, whose government had removed the power of mandatory vaccination from the province's Public Health Act, to ensure there could not be a vaccine mandate. Since October 29, proof of vaccination has been mandatory for employees of federal public services and federally-regulated industries including banking. By early January, in these public sectors, those "without proof, or an exemption on medical or religious grounds, has been put on unpaid leave". Since January 15, unvaccinated American cross-border truckers have been denied entry into Canada. Canadian truckers who are not fully vaccinated "have to show proof of a negative PCR test collected within 72 hours of arriving at the border"; they also "need to quarantine after arrival". Unvaccinated Canadian truckers can still work in Canada, unless their individual employer requires vaccination. As of January 5, the federal government had announced plans for a vaccine mandate for federally-regulated domestic fleets that cross provincial borders. At that time, no final date was set for those rules. The "botched messaging" created "chaos and confusion." Of the total number of 160,000 licensed truck drivers who serve cross-border routes, 120,000 are Canadian and 40,000 are American. Of the 120,000 Canadian truckers, Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates that 85 per cent are already vaccinated against COVID-19, and that "as many as 12,000 to 16,000" Canadian truckers may not be able to work those cross-border routes because they are unvaccinated. In total, including the potential American cross-border truckers, these mandates could result in 26,000 of the 160,000 drivers in both countries who have been regularly running cross-border routes, losing that privilege. ==Convoy to Ottawa==

The first convoy departed Prince Rupert on January 22, arriving in Prince George in the evening. The following day, another convoy left from Delta with supporters gathering along Highway 1, the Trans-Canada Highway. On January 24, a convoy drove through Regina, Saskatchewan, and was greeted by supporters. According to police in Regina, about 1,200 vehicles reached the city. On January 25, another convoy passed through Kenora, Ontario, where Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in contact with the convoy stated that 200–300 vehicles would be passing through Kenora. The convoys consisted of three main routes across Canada, which would converge for the Ottawa protest on the weekend. The Ottawa Police Service estimated up to 2,000 demonstrators in the city on the weekend. As of January 26, the OPP estimated approximately 400 vehicles had entered Ontario from the Manitoba border as part of the eastbound convoy. The Kingston Police estimated approximately 300 vehicles (17 full tractor-trailers, 104 tractors without trailers, 424 passenger vehicles and six RVs) to go through Kingston. Also on January 27, a fatal crash occurred near Chatham, Ontario. OPP officers later identified the convoy movement as a contributing factor to the incident. Truckers from the Maritime provinces planned to meet in Moncton before departing for Ottawa. On the morning of January 27, supporters gathered in Enfield, Nova Scotia, where fireworks were set off as 10 to 15 trucks departed for the New Brunswick border. RCMP in PEI reported that approximately 70 trucks and supporters' vehicles crossed the Confederation Bridge into New Brunswick, but that most immediately turned around and returned to the island. About 24 trucks reportedly passed through Fredericton in the afternoon, bound for Ottawa. On January 27, one convoy group passed through the Greater Toronto Area. Hundreds of protesters gathered at highway overpasses in support of the convoy. On January 28, a convoy was seen passing through Quebec. About 600 convoy vehicles were expected to stay the night in Arnprior before heading to Parliament Hill the following morning. ==Ottawa protest==

Peak size of Parliament Hill demonstration According to the Ottawa Police Service, crowd estimates ranged from 5,000 to 18,000 protesters on January 29, By February 1, they estimated as few as 250 protesters remained. Some Facebook posts claimed as many as 50,000 trucks would be participating in the convoys. On his blog, Fox News commentator Sean Hannity reported that the convoy was made up of 10,000 heavy trucks, and Joe Warmington of the Toronto Sun reported that the event may set a Guinness World Record for the largest truck convoy on record. Claims that the truck convoy "made the Guinness Book of World Records" are also false; the current record is 480 trucks, set in Cairo, Egypt in 2020, and the Freedom Convoy did not submit an application for an attempt at setting a new record. Key organizers denounced symbols of hate with one stating, "we are going to overcome this through love and light, not hate and division." Additionally, Tamara Lich, organizer of the national convoy stated, "If you see participants along the way that are misbehaving, acting aggressively in any way or inciting any type of violence or hatred, please take down the truck number and their licence plate number so that we can forward that to the police." Some protesters were seen drinking and dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial. Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre described it as a desecration, and the Royal Canadian Legion condemned the actions. A statue of cancer fundraiser Terry Fox was decorated with an upside-down Canadian flag and a protest sign. The Terry Fox Foundation said Fox "believed in science and gave his life to help others". The statue was cleaned later by other protesters. A local soup kitchen, the Shepherds of Good Hope, alleged that some protestors were harassing the shelter for free food. Its press release said trucks were towed after blocking its ambulance drop-off zone for around half a day. Some Ottawa businesses near Parliament Hill closed around the time of the convoy's arrival out of an abundance of caution, while others closed later after staff reported being harassed or attacked by convoy participants for wearing a mask, or because of their race. Ottawa police reported that they had received hundreds of calls for service from residents, made some arrests, and in partnership with by-law services had issued tickets to convoy participants for actions impacting residents such as excessive honking and use of fireworks, in addition to tickets for driving infractions. “Evidence provided to the commission showed the noise levels outside their homes reached 100 decibels at times — about as loud as a lawn mower”, enough to cause a local resident to later testify at the Emergencies Act Inquiry that she had experienced an "assault on my hearing”. Ottawa protests and entrenchment The January 29 protest had a party-like atmosphere, with some handing out coffee and cookies and consuming beer and marijuana. Protesters barbecued food, played hockey, and set up bouncy castles for their children to play in. Ottawa Police reported de-escalating multiple "high-risk situations," but made no arrests. During this first weekend of protest in Ottawa, the city's COVID-19 wastewater signal indicated a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, suggesting a link between the gathering of protesters and the spread of COVID-19. A January 31 press conference was held at an undisclosed location, open only to invited right-wing outlets. The House of Commons resumed on January 31, after the holiday break. Healthcare workers and patients reported that they had difficulty getting to hospitals because of jammed bridges. Some healthcare workers had to stay in hotel rooms near the hospitals. Many staff members from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) felt besieged, and expressed concerns about swastikas and other symbols of hate displayed by protesters. On the afternoon of January 31, Sloly said that "The situation of the demonstration has scaled down over the last 12 hours" and that "We want that trend to continue until this demonstration comes to a complete end. I cannot guarantee you that right now but I can guarantee that every effort at negotiation, coordination, de-escalation, has continued throughout the last four days and will continue until the complete end of this demonstration." On February 1, large downtown Ottawa amenities like the Rideau Centre, Ottawa City Hall, and the National Arts Centre continued to stay closed due to security concerns. Ottawa police set up a hotline for hate-motivated crimes to be reported. On the night of February 1, Ottawa Police said that about 250 protesters remained around and on Parliament Hill. Ottawa residents reported numerous incidents in which convoy protesters physically assaulted them, or threatened rape or death for wearing masks. A protester threatened to stab a 16-year-old employee at a Tim Hortons in Centretown, after being informed that patrons must wear masks. Convoy supporters physically attacked an Ottawa pastor because he was wearing a mask, and they routinely urinated on his church. The Ottawa People’s Commission documented many alleged hate crimes, including an incident in which an Ottawa resident of Asian ancestry was beaten by three convoy supporters after being asked to perform a dragon dance. In a separate incident, two convoy supporters yelled anti-Asian slurs at an employee of a downtown ice cream shop who was wearing a mask while walking to work; the two men then threw the employee to the ground. Because of safety concerns, the shop closed for an extended period of time. A video circulated showing protesters appropriating First Nations drumming while dancing, drinking beer, and chanting "yabba dabba doo" and "fuck Trudeau". Senator and Mi'kmaq leader Brian Francis tweeted: "I am disgusted, appalled and saddened. This blatant act of racism must be vehemently condemned by all. Drumming is sacred to all First Nations. Our ways of life should never be mimicked, mocked and appropriated for political or other gain." The Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, whose traditional unceded territory includes the city of Ottawa, issued a statement condemning protesters who held an Indigenous pipe ceremony and set up a tepee in the city's Confederation Park without permission of the First Nations on February 2. On February 2, organizers of the protest said that they would not leave Ottawa until governments across Canada "end all mandates associated with COVID-19", and would stay "as long as it takes for freedom to be restored". Social media reports suggested that the structure was intended to serve as a community kitchen for the protesters. On February 6, Ottawa Police promised to increase enforcement on protesters, including handing out tickets and arresting anyone who attempts to bring material aid, such as fuel, to protesters. A state of emergency was declared by the City of Ottawa on the same day. In a statement, the city said that its declaration "reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government". On the evening of February 6, Police performed a raid on a stockpile hub of supplies for protesters, seizing fuel and making two arrests for mischief. An emergency debate of the House of Commons was held on the night of February 7, at the request of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Trudeau stated that the convoy is "trying to blockade our economy, our democracy and our fellow citizens' daily lives. It has to stop." Transport minister Omar Alghabra used the debate to encourage Ontario Premier Doug Ford to use regulatory powers to discourage the occupation, such as suspending commercial licences or insurance of the truckers. It was reported on February 7 that the Children's Aid Society (CAS) was working with the OPS to ensure the welfare and safety of the children who were living in about a quarter of the 418 convoy trucks, according to Ottawa Police Deputy Chief Steve Bell. Concerns were raised about sanitation, noise levels, and fumes. According to the Canadian Press, there were about 100 children living in the convoy trucks on February 8. Bell said that the presence of children is an "important factor" complicating a "challenging operation". The logistic centre at the Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park (RCGP) baseball stadium included trailers of food, tents, toilets, and distribution points for gasoline and propane. Police on Guard, a Facebook group of about 100 police officers, mainly retired, and 50 soldiers endorse the convoy. On February 10, leaders of the Freedom Convoy declared February 11 an "Orange Shirt Day" and called for student walkouts to end COVID-19 restrictions in schools. Indigenous leaders condemned this announcement as misappropriation. On Day 15, February 11, Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in Ontario as protesters continued to occupy the Ambassador Bridge, while Ford referred to the situation in downtown Ottawa as a "siege". By February 12, police had cleared trucks from the bridge, with busloads of police, some with heavy weapons, and an armoured vehicle. By day 14, February 10, the newest tactic was "convoy circles". Ottawa-Centre MPP Joel Harden noted that a "convoy organizer" had been encouraging protesters to form them around public schools in Ottawa. A group of about 60 convoy vehicles headed to the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport at 8 am, slow-circling it, honking, and blocking traffic until about 10 am, then returning to their Coventry Road protest encampment. Chief Stoly said many "vexatious calls" from the United States to 9-1-1 flooded the system and endangered lives. Mayor Watson sent a letter to Tamara Lich and Keith Wilson to negotiate terms with protesters. On February 13 afternoon, Mayor Watson's Office said that they had reached an agreement with protesters that they would limit the protest perimeter to "Wellington Street, between Elgin Street and the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway" to "reduce pressure on residents and businesses", and truckers would leave residential neighbourhoods. Demonstrating a misunderstanding of the functions of the Canadian monarchy, many involved in the protest called and emailed the office of the Governor General to pressure her into unconstitutionally dismissing Trudeau or dissolving Parliament, leading to Simon making a rare public statement on the role of the Governor General. Constitutional scholar Philippe Lagassé pointed to that as "evidence of a recent trend in protest movements", saying, "it has become routine in Canadian politics to write a letter to the Queen, Governor General, or a lieutenant governor asking them to exercise their powers in some way, contrary to constitutional conventions. This is political theatre, no more." After clearance Organizers Chris Barber and Tamara Lich were each arrested on February 17. Lich's bank account had previously been frozen. Organizer Pat King was later arrested on February 18, and an Alberta woman in the convoy, Kerry Komix, offered $50,000 for bail. The Crown lawyer noted that allowing her to act as surety was like "one thief being tasked to supervise another burglar." Komix was listed as the co-creator of a crypto donation platform. King was denied bail on February 25, after the presiding Justice ruled that Komix was not suitable surety, and expressed concern that King had a high risk of reoffending. On February 28, a convoy leader from High Prairie, Alberta named Tyson 'Freedom George' Billings was denied bail. Various nearby rural areas became new encampments for the protesters. More than fifty trucks moved to a truck stop in Champlain Township, near Vankleek Hill, immediately following the Ottawa clearance. In interviews, those at the site mention plans to continue the convoy, with no specifics. (Protesters originally intended to use the Arnprior Airport.) As of February 17, 2022, a farm in Russell Township, outside of Embrun, continued to be used by truckers as a convoy base camp. The Ontario Provincial Police is monitoring the site. As of February 20, the site near Kinburn remained active. "A few days" before February 21, a convoy from Fort McMurray, Alberta was turned away at the Manitoba border. At a special meeting of the Ottawa Police Services Board on February 24, Acting Chief Bell feels the Highway Traffic Act and other laws would be enough to manage a possible return, despite removal of the Emergencies Act. On March 5, a human chain was formed along Wellington Street, as a "freedom protest." Some later relocated to the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, demanding Lich and King be released. Ottawa residents protested the delayed police response. On March 26, a convoy demonstration from Quebec made what police called a "symbolic passage" through downtown Ottawa on its way to Vankleek Hill. == Major blockades ==

Alberta–Montana On January 29, the date that the Freedom Convoy arrived in Ottawa, a group of truckers blockaded the Sweetgrass–Coutts Border Crossing—one of the busiest ports of entry west of the Great Lakes which connects Sweet Grass, Montana, via US Interstate 15 with the village of Coutts, Alberta, via Alberta Highway 4. The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service is located at this crossing, making it the principal port of entry for Alberta's large meat industry, and one of three main points where all meat products from the rest of western Canada cross the border, according to the Canadian Meat Council. The group of around 100 protesters demanded an end to all COVID-19 restrictions. The blockade, which extended about into Canada, also blocked public and emergency vehicle access to the village of Coutts, prompting condemnation from the town's mayor. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called the blockade illegal, and threatened that protesters would face penalties under the province's Critical Infrastructure Defence Act. Alberta RCMP initially negotiated with protesters for a peaceful end to the blockade, and protesters agreed to release about 50 vehicles trapped on Highway 4 and US Interstate 15. A few vehicles left, most remained, and several incidents of violence against police and civilians were reported, including protesters ramming RCMP vehicles. On February 12, due to ongoing protests, the Canada Border Services Agency suspended all travel at the Coutts border crossing. On February 14, RCMP stepped in and arrested 13 people, seizing long guns, handguns, body armour, a large amount of ammunition and high capacity magazines. Four men were subsequently charged with conspiracy to murder RCMP officers. The border crossing was reopened on February 15. On the evening of February 7, movement at the bridge came to a complete halt. The blockade continued into February 8. On the morning of February 8, officials declared the bridge reopened, but the blockade resumed, pushing trips to the Blue Water Bridge connecting Sarnia and Port Huron. Supply shortages caused by the blockade led to work shortages at Ford Motor Company's assembly plants in Oakville and in Lansing, Michigan, and shut down its Windsor plant. Parts manufacturers for Chrysler were also shut down, and on February 10, Toyota revealed that its three Ontario plants could not produce vehicles for the rest of the week. The Bank of Canada warned that the blockade could have a "measurable impact" on the Canadian economy. On the morning of February 12, aided by Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP, Windsor Police began to clear out the blockade using new powers. Despite the heavy police presence, by the end of the day on February 12, most protesters remained, although had been pushed much further from the bridge. Police arrested two individuals, towed seven vehicles and issued eleven tickets. On the morning of February 13, joint police forces took control of the area and began to make arrests. In the late evening of February 13, the Ambassador Bridge had fully reopened. 42 arrests were made in total, with 37 vehicles seized. Windsor, Ontario, where the convoy blocked the Ambassador Bridge, intervened in an action by automobile manufacturers in Superior Court for an injunction. Mayor Drew Dilkens declared his intention to clear the bridge with the assistance of police reinforcements. An injunction was granted February 11 effective 7 pm. A deadline of midnight was set. Local police were to be employed to clear the bridge. At 9 am, police from several Ontario cities, including London, Ontario, were at the bridge in force together with buses and tow trucks, an armored personnel carrier, and a sniper. The Windsor police announced via Twitter that enforcement had begun. Some protestors, after discussion with police, had peacefully departed with their vehicles. The protesters were completely cleared by February 13 at approximately 8 a.m, although the border was not immediately opened. The bridge re-opened in the evening with 25 to 30 people arrested and 12 small vehicles seized. There was a substantial police presence and Jersey barriers were installed to keep the three-mile long access road to the bridge open. On February 16, police intercepted a convoy of six or seven trucks away from Windsor – heading towards the city after leaving Ottawa. == Participants and response ==

Organizers Some of the key individual organizers for the convoy included, James Bauder, Romana Didulo, Patrick "Pat" King, Tamara Lich, Jason LaFace, and Dave Steenburg. In the lead-up to the planned arrival in Ottawa, it was reported on January 25 that far-right and white supremacist groups were hoping for violence on Parliament Hill akin to the 2021 United States Capitol attack. This has caused organizer Tamara Lich to address convoy members and denounce political violence, saying that protesters should "hold a peaceful protest" instead. Organizers and leaders of the convoy condemned extremist groups, and asked that participants report lawbreakers to the police. They also stated that any extremists found would be "removed" from the convoy. Despite this, some protesters were photographed with Confederate flags and other flags with Nazi symbols at the rally. The Globe and Mail noted that "signs comparing vaccine mandates to the persecution of Jewish people by the Nazis remained" until the clearance. On January 28, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concern that a small group of protesters were going to be posing a threat during the weekend. Counter-protests Counter-protests in favour of public health measures were held throughout the convoy's duration. In Ottawa, with protestors in the parliament area spilling into residential neighbourhoods nearby, lawsuits and injunction requests were filed by residents to silence the trucks that were honking their horns at all hours. Counter-protests were held in several cities on February 5. Counter-protestors forced a convoy of vehicles to split-up in Vancouver after blocking the roadway by standing on foot or with a bicycle on Terminal Avenue. There were few side streets or exit options after the trucks travelled more than 2 kilometres down the roadway, which required the trucks to reverse the length of Terminal Avenue in order to exit the street. Counter-protestors in Victoria spread out by the BC Legislature, to be near and far weekend convoy protestors. Some 200 people gathered in front of Ottawa City Hall to demand the end of disruptions caused by trucks downtown. People held pro-vaccination signs in Whitehorse while anti-mandate protestors passed them in vehicles. A counter-protest organized by health care workers was planned in Toronto for February 12, but was called off when the provincial government instituted a state of emergency. In counter-protests on February 12, thousands of people joined the "Community Solidarity March" through Ottawa to demand the end of the protests. On February 13, a group of Ottawa residents blocked the intersection of Riverside Drive and Bank Street to prevent a newly-arrived contingent of vehicles from joining the main protest. The original group of 20 grew to more than 1,000 people and successfully kettled the eastern artery of the "Blue Collar Convoy" for eight hours and were joined by groups in other neighbourhoods. The standoff between Ottawa residents and the kettled convoy participants was colloquially called the 'Battle of Billings Bridge' and was commemorated a year later with an unofficial plaque installed in the location of the standoff. During the convoy occupation of Ottawa, various individuals gained public note for their counter-protesting. The protestors' Zello push-to-talk-style voice channels were the subject of coordinated disruption from counter-protestors, including users playing the homoerotic country rock song "Ram Ranch" to "troll" participants and listeners (an effort coordinated under the hashtag "#RamRanchResistance"). Ottawa Police Service response Ottawa Police Service faced criticism for how it responded to the convoy during the first three weeks, culminating with the resignation of Chief Peter Sloly. He said that starting on January 28, there was a "traffic gridlock" which turned into "traffic chaos" over the next two days, as "thousands of vehicles, particularly heavy trucks" arrived in Ottawa. Patrick McDonell, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons and Director General of Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) warned members of parliament about possible doxing attempts to discover the addresses of their residences in the Capital Region. The letter further warned MPs not to get involved in any demonstrations, to "go somewhere safe", and to keep all doors locked. McDonell told reporters that Canada has never been so divided—the thousands of people arriving on Parliament Hill in the trucker convoy represented a "symbol of the fatigue" that Canadians were experiencing after two years of COVID. The OPS had called in reinforcements from the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)Canada's main intelligence serviceand were working to identify threats in the convoy. The ITAC reports, which were seen by The Guardian, warned in late January that "extremists" were "likely involved" and the "potential for violence remained real". They asked that emergency vehicle access be assured throughout. On the third weekend of February 11 and 12, there were about 4,000 or 5,000 protesters and partyers in the city's core, on Parliament Hill. Even after a state of emergency was declared by the mayor, officers were outnumbered and unable to enforce injunctions or regulations. Integrated Command Centre response Plans for the creation of the new Integrated Command Centre were in place by February 12. The Integrated Command Centre was created to help Ottawa Police Services (OPS) coordinate with Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and RCMP when the anticipated reinforcements would arrive. As an estimated 4,000 protesters converged on Parliament Hill on February 12, the extra reinforcements requested by Chief Sloly a week earlier had not yet arrived. On Day 19 of the protests, with Ottawa under three states of emergency invoked by the three levels of government, Chief Sloly resigned. At the February 15 Ottawa Police Board meeting, Deputy Chief Steve Bell, who was appointed Interim Chief of Police, told the board that the OPS force had not "yet received the 1,800 extra officers requested". The OPS had made a total of "33 arrests and charged 18 people" in the 19 day period. of OPS, York, Toronto, Gatineau, Durham Region, London, Hamilton forces, the Sureté du Québec, the OPP, and the RCMP, worked on a coordinated police action in and around Parliament Hill. By late February 18 morning, CTV News and other mainstream media reporting in the red zone, showed police steadily, very slowly sandwiching groups of dozens of the remaining protesters on all sides on separate streets. Families with children were seen in these final groups of protesters, with police reporting that protesters were "putting children between their operations and the protest site." By early afternoon, tactical officers began slowly entering the cabins of large rigs that had been parked in front of Parliament since the end of January. In the afternoon, as some of the remaining protesters accepted the inevitable, they began to clear of snow from their trucks and trailers in preparation for their departure. At one point, a smoke device was released by protesters. Clearance As of February 10, there was general agreement by government and police that vigorous efforts to clear the blockades were dangerous, possibly leading to expanded or violent reactions. A variety of options were legally possible and some, such as issuing tickets, were employed. Tow-truck drivers in several locations declined to tow trucks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on February 3, declared his reluctance to employ the military to clear the protesters, saying he had received no formal request for military assistance and added, "One has to be very, very cautious before deploying military in situations engaging Canadians," saying it's not something to "enter into lightly". Prime Minister Trudeau and United States President Joe Biden met virtually to discuss the dissolution of cross-border blockades. Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in the province. Heavy fines of up to $100,000 and up to a year of imprisonment were introduced for offences such as blocking or impeding the movement of goods, people, and services along critical roads and bridges in the province, including "international border crossings, 400-series highways, airports, ports, bridges and railways". Penalties include revoking personal and commercial drivers' licences. On February 17, police massed at a staging area in Ottawa. A -high fence was constructed around the Parliament building and over 100 checkpoints limited access to the protest area. OC Transpo transit stations in the downtown were also closed. Convoy organizers Chris Barber and Tamara Lich were arrested in separate instances, and Lich stated that her personal bank account had been frozen. Pat King, another convoy organizer, was arrested by police on February 18. That same day, police made at least 70 arrests and towed 21 vehicles by mid-afternoon. In the ensuing skirmish, some pepper spray was used. Ottawa Police reported that several officers and horses had been assaulted by demonstrators while attempting to clear the red zone, and over 100 people had been arrested by the evening of February 18. In total, 170 people had been arrested and a few dozen trucks towed. Protest leaders advised leaving the area and were asking for permission to do so. Pepper gas had been used; one police officer suffered a minor injury. Municipal response Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson described the situation as "the most serious emergency our city has ever faced". Provincial response On February 11, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in the province. On the same day, Ontario Superior Court granted an injunction to remove protesters from the Ambassador Bridge. The injunction was sought by multiple industry groups affected by the blockade including the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association. On February 23 at 5:00 pm, Ontario ended the state of emergency. Federal response Emergencies Act On February 14, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act. The Act gave police extraordinary powers to "end border blockades and the occupation of downtown Ottawa by so-called 'Freedom Convoy' protesters." Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said that under the Act, protesters' "trucks can be seized, their corporate accounts frozen and vehicle insurance suspended". While Trudeau insisted that the military would not be deployed, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair did not rule out deployment, and called the lack of enforcement by Ottawa Police "inexplicable". The Emergencies Act replaced the former War Measures Act, which was famously invoked by Trudeau's father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, to deploy the Canadian Forces against the Front de libération du Québec during the 1970 October Crisis. On February 21, the House of Commons voted to confirm the Emergencies Act, with 185 for and 151 opposing the motion. On February 23, Trudeau told a press conference that he would lift the Emergencies Act at 5:00 p.m. ==Related events==

Other border crossing obstructions British Columbia–Washington Beginning February 5, protesters attempted to blockade the Pacific Highway Border Crossing between Blaine, Washington, and Surrey, British Columbia. Protesters returned on February 12, where a police barricade was set up. A convoy led by a privately owned vehicle painted in military style broke through the police barricades, Surrey RCMP moved into the area to clear it on February 13, making 12 arrests. On February 15, the border crossing reopened. Manitoba–North Dakota Beginning February 10, a blockade closed off the Pembina–Emerson Border Crossing in Emerson, Manitoba. Through RCMP negotiating, protesters voluntarily left the blockade on February 16 and the border crossing was reopened. The blockage at Emerson, Manitoba border crossing was cleared February 15, 2022. Other Canadian protests Toronto On February 4, 2022, some vehicles and tractors arrived outside the Royal Ontario Museum on Avenue Road north of Queen's Park in Toronto. Also on February 4, Toronto Police started closing roads in the downtown in anticipation of a large protest and told residents to expect a larger police presence during the weekend. On February 5, truckers, tractor drivers, and protesters arrived in Queen's Park to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates. In response, a group of healthcare workers staged a counter-protest. Protest activity later moved north to Bloor Street and later to the intersection of Bloor Street West and Avenue Road. Hundreds of protesters and several trucks blocked the intersection for hours. During the protest, a 22-year-old man was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon, use of a smoke bomb (administering a noxious substance), and public mischief. Winnipeg On February 5, at a related protest in Downtown Winnipeg, four people were injured in a ramming incident. One was hospitalized and later released. As of February 7, protests were on their fourth day. Police have yet to write tickets or lay charges against protesters, despite numerous noise complaints, fireworks without permit, and incidents of "homophobia, racism, and gender-based harassment." Fredericton A protest targeting the New Brunswick Legislature in Fredericton began on Friday, February 11. Fredericton Police established checkpoints leading into the city's downtown, and refused entry to any large truck without a valid manifest. A group of about 300 protesters gathered at the New Brunswick Legislative Building, growing to a peak of 700 by Saturday. Nova Scotia On January 30, the Government of Nova Scotia made it illegal for people to gather on Highway 104 along the border with New Brunswick in anticipation of protesters blockading the highway. On February 6, hundreds of vehicles drove through Halifax as part of the "Freedom Convoy". On February 12, hundreds of people from around Nova Scotia travelled to Halifax to protest. The Halifax Regional Police blocked off access to some roads in downtown Halifax in response to the protest. Edmonton Protestors gathered in Edmonton for three consecutive Saturdays, and an Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice granted an interim injunction on February 11, 2022, prohibiting protest participants from causing incessant sound with horns and megaphones within city limits. Edmonton Police Service (EPS) was criticized by City Councilor Michael Janz for taking stronger enforcement measures against a counter protest than it did with the main protest. According to EPS, the responses varied as they tried to protect public and officer safety, and keep traffic moving. A convoy in Charlottetown attracted hundreds of protesters on February 12, mostly driving personal vehicles and farm equipment. International protests The Freedom Convoy also inspired several Facebook and Telegram groups organizing similar protests in 34 countries including Argentina, Austria, Cyprus, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. As is the case in Canada, demonstrations were partly supported by local far-right groups; in Finland by members of neo-fascist Blue-and-Black Movement, Soldiers of Odin and Power Belongs to the People, and in Germany by the Reichsbürger movement and Alternative for Germany. In February 2022, a solidarity protest was organized in the United Kingdom with a convoy driving from Scotland to London with stops in cities throughout the British isles. Other convoys were reported in Wales and parts of England. Officials in Paris and Brussels banned protests relating to the Freedom Convoy, following information from organizers of a similar event opposed to France's Health Pass, le Convoi de la Liberté, that five convoys from across France were due to reach Paris between February 11 and 14. French Police used tear gas to disperse protesters, in addition to intercepting hundreds of vehicles and issuing hundreds of fines to those participating in the convoy. On February 23, a group of American truckers began a solidarity protest convoy from California to Washington, D.C. called the "People's Convoy". In response, The Pentagon approved the deployment of 700 unarmed National Guard troops to D.C. In early March, a demonstration was held by convoy protesters in D.C. near the Washington Monument, but only a small number of people attended. One convoy called the "US Freedom Convoy" was scheduled to arrive in D.C. on March 1, but disbanded when only five trucks arrived in Las Vegas from Los Angeles. After three weeks of protesting, on March 27, People's Convoy co-organizer Mike Landis announced that the convoy would leave D.C. and drive back to California. On May 20, 2022, the People's Convoy disbanded and declared "victory" despite never reentering D.C. as planned. Several smaller splinter groups formed in the aftermath of the disbandment, such as the 1776 Restoration Movement. Rolling Thunder Ottawa A motorcycle convoy of "hundreds" is scheduled to enter Ottawa on April 29. The group's route intends to stop at the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill. Looking to avoid of a repeat of the previous convoy, Ottawa Police announced that vehicles would not be allowed near the Hill. Ottawa Police are to be joined by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police, and various municipal police services. Up to 831 RCMP are available as special constables. The Royal Canadian Legion distanced itself from the protest, stating in part "The Legion defends these sacred sites of Remembrance, and asserts that they should never be used as a backdrop for any other agenda beyond the act of Remembrance. Our hope and appeal to all who may gather before the National War Memorial this weekend is that they do so with a focus purely on Remembrance." A large crowd gathered on Rideau Street in the evening, in front of Rideau Centre. After an escalation of crowd aggression, police with helmets and shields were deployed. An attempted to occupy a parking lot was overturned. In total, seven people were arrested on the first evening. A professor who studies the dynamics of protests counted less than a thousand people at the rally, including police and journalists. Saturday's planned events include a rally at Parliament Hill featuring COVID-19 conspiracy theorist Christopher Saccoccia, widely referred to as Chris Sky. Rolling Thunder's organizer, Neil Sheard, has attempted to distance himself from Saccoccia. Another group, "Ottawa Unity Chain," intends to form a human chain. It claims to have collaborated with Sheard's group. == Results and aftermath ==

Parliamentary committee investigations The House of Commons committee structure lent itself to ongoing investigations, in the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (FINA), the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) and the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC). Early in March 2022, a Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency (DEDC) of the Senate and the House of Commons was struck to investigate the events associated with it. FINA Committee The FINA committee had its first session on the Invocation of the Emergency Act and Related Measures on February 22 and, as of April 28, had elicited testimony from 22 witnesses over seven hearings. SECU Committee As early as February 10, before the protest ended, the SECU committee devoted two sessions to the Crowdfunding Platforms and Extremism Financing investigation, and interviewed 17 witnesses in the ''Occupation of Ottawa and the Federal Government's Response to Convoy Blockades'' segment. On February 25, in sworn witness testimony to the SECU committee, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, in answer to the Shadow Minister for Public Safety Raquel Dancho, stated that "I would just point out that from the very outset of the illegal blockade, that a number of organizers and leaders of the so-called Freedom Convoy made a number of profoundly concerning and extremist statements calling for the overthrow of the government through violence." On March 24, the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police Thomas Carrique stated in sworn testimony before the committee that "the province's intelligence bureau identified a threat associated with the lengthy protest in the national capital on February 7, one week before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act...that the Freedom Convoy blockades were a provincial and national emergency" and that the "situation and the associated events simultaneously taking place across Canada required unprecedented national collaboration to prevent injury, preserve life and protect critical infrastructure." The "previous statements" were in witness testimony that Mendicino made at a SECU committee hearing in April, to wit that the government "invoked the act because it was the advice of non-partisan professional law enforcement that the existing authorities were ineffective at the time to restore public safety." DEDC Committee Early on in the life of the DECD committee its NDP co-chair, Matthew Green, said that committee members "have a 'responsibility' to work together" in light of the disagreement of the Official Opposition over the constitution of the committee. It consisted of seven MPs and four senators. On March 6, co-chair Green was "interested in looking at the actions of police (or the lack of them), the role played by 'dark money' raised through" the GoFundMe and GiveSendGo crowdfunding platforms. Public Order Emergency Commission On April 25, Trudeau announced the establishment of the Public Order Emergency Commission, an independent inquiry into the invocation of the Emergencies Act headed by Justice Paul Rouleau. The inquiry is independent of the parliamentary review committee. Due to Justice Rouleau undergoing surgery to address a health issue, it is now expected to complete its public hearings on November 25, 2022. Conservatives said the investigations are too focused on the actions of protesters and their fundraising, and not on justifying the use of the Emergencies Act or determining whether it was appropriate for it to have been invoked. concluded that the threshold for invoking the Emergencies Act had been met. Economic loss and costs On February 15, there were reports that the blockage of the Ambassador Bridge could result in and costs to the automobile industry representing approximately US$1.2 billion in the economies of both the United States and Canada. The Director of the University of Waterloo's Cross Border Institute stated to CBC News that the economic loss from the Ambassador Bridge blockade was between $3 billion and $6 billion. Every day, vehicles and auto parts valued at approximately US$141.1 million flow across the Bridge. Major auto manufacturers were forced to pause production; "automakers and their suppliers" were having to "scramble to get parts to plants on time" for the current week's run. A previous estimate by BBC on February 12 said that the estimated total cost to the automobile industry was about US$600 million (c. CA$763 million). Twenty-five per cent of the value of "all U.S.-Canada goods trade" pass over the Ambassador Bridge dailyapproximately $360 million in both directions a day. In Ottawa Canadian economist Armine Yalnizyan estimated losses such as workers' wagesCA$11 million a day for a total of $264 millionas well as other costs that Canadian taxpayers would have to pay for damages caused by the "Ottawa occupation". The estimated loss of sales at the Rideau Centre$3 million a day according to the Retail Council of Canadaamounts to a total of $72 million. Over 50 per cent of the 235 businesses in the area that was blockaded lost revenue. Taxpayers will pay for the $300 a week for those workers who are eligible for the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit. They will also pay for the $20 million the federal government will provide to local businesses who lost revenues. The $2.5 million for Ottawa LRT free public transit will be paid by taxpayers, as will the millions of dollars for extra police reinforcements. Yalnizyan also noted the "incalculable damage" to Canada's international reputation as a trade partner which could have a negative impact on supply chains and "political discourse." She did not include the cost to those who lived in the neighbourhoods most impacted, who could not leave their homes and in some cases were "unable to sleep or access clean air or, at times, even food." As well, other communities and neighbourhoods had to live with a reduced police force and therefore reduced safety, as officers were seconded to Ottawa's downtown core. The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) initially claimed that every day protests were ongoing was costing CA$800,000. Consistent with earlier estimates, Ottawa Police Services Board announced on February 15 that the cost was around $785,000 per day, resulting in an estimated $14.1 million over the course of 18 days. According to Mayor Watson, the Chief of Police's request for 1,800 additional officers could increase the cost to $2.5 million daily. Based on a class-action lawsuit against organizers, lawyer Paul Champ estimated that lost wages and revenue in the downtown core totalled at least $CA306 million. Efforts to fundraise for affected charities includes one called "Make Ottawa Boring Again." Alberta–Montana According to a February 3 CTV News report, the economic loss of the Sweetgrass–Coutts Border Crossing border crossing closure was estimated at CA$220 million. Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters estimated on February 3, that $44 million in daily cross-border trade was affected by the blockade at the border crossing that averages CA$15.9 billion annually in two-way trade. Alberta RCMP tried to negotiate with the protesters blocking access to the Coutts border crossing. The operation was halted due to safety concerns, after multiple vehicles drove around the police barricades to reach the border blockade, travelled on the wrong side of the highway, and two vehicles collided. The border crossing fully re-opened on February 15, after protest participants agreed to leave peacefully. Ontario–Michigan The economic loss caused by the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit, due to initial delays, was estimated at US$50 million per day when border crossing was still open but at a standstill, according to a February 9 Guardian article. BBC reported on February 12 that due to rerouting to other border crossings, that the estimated total cost to the automobile industry was calculated at approximately US$600 million (c. CA$763 million). According to the United States State Department Ambassador Bridge website, there is US$323 million worth of goods crossing it daily; with 10,000 commercial vehicles crossing each week day; and US$1.7 billion in total "value in trade between Canada and the US every day." By February 4, Ottawa Police's response to the protests and later encampments of lingering protesters drew criticism from local residents. Complaints focused around lack of enforcement on noise due to constant horn-honking, disruption of livelihoods Police later addressed some concerns by issuing 30 tickets on February 3. Criticism has also focused on "the sharp contrast between the occupiers' reception and the ways police forces all over Canada treat Black and Indigenous people, who are violently policed for existing in public space, let alone protesting." On February 4, Ottawa Police hired Navigator Ltd, a crisis public relations firm to aid in handling messaging to the public. By February 13, on Day 17, federal Minister Blair "urged the police to do their jobs, enforce the law and restore order". On February 16, Ottawa city councillor Diane Deans was removed by council as chair of the Police board, in a 15–9 vote. Councillors described the board as ineffective in oversight, and were critical of the hiring of an interim chief without consultation. Hiring is something the Ontario Police Services Act allows them to do, and the choice had received support of the Ontario Solicitor General. A vote to remove councillor Carol Anne Meehan from the board failed. Councillor Rawlson King resigned from the board during the meeting. A citizen vice chair resigned earlier in the day. Six investigators and two forensic investigators from the Special Investigations Unit are investigating two incidents involving the police. The first is an incident on Friday, at about 5:14 p.m. on Rideau Street and Mackenzie Avenue involving a Toronto Police Service officer in the mounted police unit and a 49-year-old woman, who "has a reported serious injury". The family of the woman said that "she is alive and is recovering from a broken clavicle." This was also confirmed by paramedics. On "Saturday, at about 7:18 p.m. Vancouver Police Department officers discharged Anti-Riot Weapon Enfields (less-lethal firearms) at individuals in the area of Sparks Street and Bank Street". From an access-to-information request, emails between the National Capital Commission and Ottawa Police Services revealed that law enforcement overall was hampered by poor communication, disagreement on approaches and tactics, and confusion over jurisdiction. Criminal investigations Active investigations are underway for a number of widely publicized incidents including those related to the Unknown Soldier's memorial and the Terry Fox statue as well as for more general incidents, including bribery, threats, assault, dangerous driving, and setting a fire in a building. An OPS hotline has been set up where victims can report crimes, including hate crimes. On March 21, a 21-year-old Ottawa man unrelated to the protest was charged in connection with the fire. On April 6, a 41-year-old Ottawa man, also unrelated to the protest, was similarly charged. On November 22, 2024, Pat King was convicted on charges of five criminal charges including mischief and disobeying a court order. On February 19, 2025, he was sentenced to three months' house arrest. On April 3, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were convicted of mischief in encouraging people to join or remain at the protest, despite knowing its adverse effect on residents and businesses in Ottawa. In March 2025, the Crown said it was appealing King's sentence. Lawsuits Class-action lawsuit On February 4, 2022, Ottawa human rights lawyer Paul Champ filed a $9.8 million class action lawsuit against Chris Barber, Benjamin Ditcher, Tamara Lich, Patrick King and others as organizers of the Freedom Convoy on behalf of downtown Ottawa residents over continuous air horn and train horn noise. Zexi Li, who lived in a high rise building in the centre of Ottawa and was a data analyst for Shared Services Canada, was chosen by Champ to be the lawsuit's lead complainant. In response to the suit, convoy organizers agreed to cease horn noise until 1:00 p.m. on February 6. Many protesters ignored the agreement. The lawsuit went to court on the afternoon of February 5 and a hearing was adjourned to February 7. On February 6, Champ posted an ultimatum to protesters in Ottawa that they would be released from the lawsuit if they left Ottawa by 10:00 a.m. EST on February 7. On February 7, Ontario Superior Court of Justice Hugh McLean issued a 10-day injunction on vehicles from honking their horns in downtown Ottawa. By February 17, the claim had expanded to include a class of businesses and was then at $CDN306 million. Union 613 and Happy Goat Coffee were added as plaintiffs. On February 18, as part of a class-action civil suit against the Freedom Convoy organizers, an Ontario Superior Court judge has frozen as much as CA$20 million under a Mareva order that targets cryptocurrency, raised for the convoy protests in Ottawa. Paul Champ is the lawyer for the plaintiffs, residents of downtown Ottawa. The Mareva injunction, is separate from the federal government's efforts to work with banks to have accounts frozen. The injunction freezes convoy donations which could eventually be redistributed to residents who are including in the suit. In a decision announced on February 6, 2024, a judge ruled against a motion filed by the protesters. Convoy organizers had attempted to get the lawsuit tossed, using a motion that referred to anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) legislation. Superior Court Justice Calum MacLeod sided with Ottawa residents and businesses. In February 2025, the Court of Appeal for Ontario upheld the dismissal, finding the lower court ruling had properly balanced public interest in protest with the harm to downtown residents and businesses and that there it had not seen evidence that police had directed the defendants to park for the duration and honk their horns with the intensity that they did. Canadian Civil Liberties Association On February 17, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) announced it was suing the federal government over the Act's invocation, stating that the Emergencies Act must be reserved for national emergencies, which they argued was a "legal standard that has not been met." The CCLA criticized the invocation of the Act in a press release, saying, "The federal government has not met the threshold necessary to invoke the Emergencies Act. This law creates a high and clear standard for good reason: the Act allows government to bypass ordinary democratic processes. This standard has not been met." In the same press release, the CCLA stated that the normalization of emergency legislation, "threatens our democracy and our civil liberties." On January 23, 2024, Judge Richard Mosley of the Federal Court ruled that while the protest itself "reflected an unacceptable breakdown of public order," the use of the Emergencies Act was unreasonable, ultra vires, and had violated Section 2(b) and Section 8 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The court found that orders made under the act were "overbroad" infringing on the freedom of expression of protesters who did not intend to breach the peace, and that freezing of bank accounts and collecting of financial information from banks had amounted to unreasonable search and seizure. When asked about the ruling on the day of its release, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland defended her government's actions, saying it was the correct decision at the time, and announced their intention to appeal. In February 2024, the government appealed the ruling. In January 2026, the Federal Court of Appeal rejected the appeal, ruling "that Cabinet did not have reasonable grounds to believe that a national emergency existed" and that "As disturbing and disruptive the blockades and the convoy protests in Ottawa could be, they fell well short of a threat to national security." The Court of Appeal also upheld the lower court's findings that the invocation had violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by limiting free expression and infringing on protester's rights against unreasonable search and seizure. In March 2026, the government filed for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. == Statements and reactions ==

Canadian politicians Liberal Party Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, dismissed the supply chain disruption concerns as unfounded on the basis that most Canadian truckers have been vaccinated. On January 31, Trudeau called the protests an "insult to truth", saying that "we are not intimidated by those who hurl abuse at small business workers and steal food from the homeless" and "We won't give in to those who fly racist flags. We won't cave to those who engage in vandalism, or dishonour the memory of our veterans." Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Transport, said on January 31, that since January 15 when the truck drivers' vaccine mandate came into effect, the traffic volumes of transport trucks crossing the Canada-US border had not decreased. Compared to the fall of 2021, and based on Statistics Canada's most recent figures, even with a "massive snowstorm, even though it was a U.S. holiday, we had almost 100,000 truckers cross the border". On CTV's January 30 Question Period, Alghabra said that some voices in the crowd of protestors are "really disturbing and unacceptable" and "must be condemned"; this included those carrying signs with swastikas and Confederate flags, and those who called for the overthrow of the government. On January 24, he described them as a "small number of far-right, vocal opposition that is polluting" the debate surrounding vaccine mandates. Conservative Party Erin O'Toole, Leader of the Official Opposition and the Conservative Party as the convoys started, initially declined to support the protest, saying instead that the best way to maintain supply chains is for truckers to get vaccinated. O'Toole tweeted "I support their right to be heard, and I call on Justin Trudeau to meet with these hard-working Canadians to hear their concerns". O'Toole was ousted on a leadership review on February 2, some party members citing his policy reversals on issues such as his support for the protest. Conservative MPs Candice Bergen, Garnett Genuis, Martin Shields, Warren Steinley, Jeremy Patzer, and Leslyn Lewis all expressed their support for the convoy and truckers' movement, although some, such as Poilievre, denounced individual protesters who were promoting extremism. Damien Kurek and Michael Cooper attended the rally, serving food. Cooper was further interviewed on television. A person in behind Cooper had an upside-down Canadian flag with a swastika; Cooper says that he was unaware. Bergen, who became interim Conservative leader after Erin O'Toole's ouster, has privately advocated against dispersing protesters, and insisted in the House that Trudeau extend an "olive branch". Before O'Toole was removed from the Conservative leadership, Bergen had implored him to support the protestors, saying that "there were good people on both sides", which has been described by writers as an echo of the phrase made by Donald Trump in regard to the Unite the Right rally in 2017. On February 10, as a third border blockade began in Manitoba, the Conservatives reversed their position supporting the border blockades. Bergen called for the blockades to disperse, "for the sake of the economy", but vowed to continue pushing the governing Liberals to release a clear plan for ending COVID-19 restrictions. During debate on the Emergencies Act, Conservative members of parliament dismissed the convoy; deputy whip Lianne Rood called it joyful, and compared it to Canada Day. Conservative Member Michael Cooper called a Liberal Member "a despicable human being". Other Canadian politicians People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier, Ontario Party Leader Derek Sloan, and independent Ontario MPP Randy Hillier expressed support for the convoy protests. The People's Party organized a rally in Waterloo on January 23 supporting the convoy, at which Bernier and Hillier both spoke. Bernier also attended the January 29 event at Parliament Hill, criticizing Erin O'Toole for not attending. Hillier would later speak at the convoy, stating "this is the hill we die on." Hillier also spoke on Russia Today about the convoy, and later tweeted "Russia news provides a platform for objective journalism where Canadian msm [sic] creates fabrications". Other Canadian politicians—including Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, and Ottawa City Councillor Catherine McKenney—described the protests as extremist. Mayor of Port Coquitlam Brad West condemned the defacing of Fox's statue during the protest. On January 29, Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe issued a letter in support of the protest. Although repeatedly encouraging vaccination, Moe argued that it would only reduce the chance of severe outcomes, and did not prevent infection or transmission of COVID-19—a statement that was subsequently disputed—and for that reason he did not support the cross-border vaccine mandate, and would lift proof of vaccination requirements in Saskatchewan "in the not too-distant future". Members of Parliament reported an increase in inappropriate and threatening calls to their offices, in correlation with the protests. American politicians and media figures Multiple Republican politicians and media figures endorsed the Freedom Convoy including US Senators Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul, US Representatives Jim Banks, Dan Bishop, Ken Buck, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, Chip Roy, Kay Ivey, former US President Donald Trump, former Governor Mike Huckabee, TV personalities Donald Trump Jr., Lara Trump, and singer Ted Nugent. Fox News' personalities Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham expressed support for the protestors in broadcasts. Former United States Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman criticized American groups' support and funding of the protests. On February 10, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas contacted their Canadian counterparts, recommended the use of Canadian federal powers, and offered the support of the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security. According to CBC News, "While the Democrats and the White House said almost nothing about Trudeau invoking the Emergencies Act, the Republican ecosystem sprouted thickets of indignation." Carlson called Trudeau "Canadian dictator Justin Trudeau" and ran the headline: "Trudeau has declared Canada a dictatorship." Facebook stated that they had removed fake users that were set up in overseas content farms, in Romania, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, which were promoting the convoy protests in Canada. After this announcement, New York Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney questioned Facebook as to the number of the accounts, when they were identified and how many impressions they had on US and Canadian users, comparing it to Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. In a letter to Zuckerberg, Maloney cited that "One Bangladeshi firm was responsible for attracting more than 170,000 members to some of the largest 'Freedom Convoy' organizing groups on Facebook." Trucking industry and labour groups In their February 7 statement, Teamsters Canada, representing more than 55,000 professional drivers, including approximately 15,000 long-haul truck drivers, of whom 90 per cent are vaccinated, said that the protest "serves to delegitimize the real concerns of most truck drivers today". The statement said that the convoy and "the despicable display of hate led by the political right and shamefully encouraged by elected conservative politicians does not reflect the values of Teamsters Canada." On January 25, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), a truckers' trade association, and the federal government issued a formal statement reinforcing the use of vaccinations, along with other public health measures, to protect Canadian health care and to reduce COVID-19 risk. In the statement, the CTA and the government committed to working together to respond to supply chain constraints. A January 29 CTA statement cautioned the public that a "great number of protestors" have no connection to the trucking industry and "have a separate agenda beyond a disagreement over cross border vaccine requirements". CTA's January 22 statement had announced that they do "not support and strongly disapprove of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges" and the disruption of the "motoring public on highways and commerce at the border". CTA members can express their disagreement with government policies by holding an "organized, lawful event on Parliament Hill". CTA's president, Stephen Laskowski, said the trucking industry "must adapt and comply with this mandate". The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada noted concern about the convoy's "racist remarks", citing the comparisons to Nazis and communism. The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association and the British Columbia Trucking Association both criticized the protest. Various trucking companies have tried to distance themselves from the convoys, claiming that the vehicles are owner-operated, despite featuring their logos. Mass media outlets According to The New York Times, "In an increasingly polarized political environment, the Canadian truckers became an instant cause célèbre." Though declaring "We disagree with protestors' cause", the newspaper conceded that "[protestors] have a right to be noisy and even disruptive." In late January, CBC host Nil Köksal pondered that "there is concern that Russian actors could be continuing to fuel things as this protest grows. But perhaps even instigating it from, from the outset". In October 2022, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said no foreign actors had funded or supported the convoy protests. A 2023 study by Caroline Orr Bueno found that RT covered the protests far more than any other outlet. Rich Lowry of Politico argued that "The embrace of the Canadian trucker protesters by the American right is a sign that the Tea Party spirit circa the early Obama years was never fully extinguished. Since then, everything has changed — most importantly, the rise of Donald Trump and his movement — and nothing has changed. It is freedom that remains the most natural and powerful Republican rallying cry." Miscellaneous Canadian scholar Peter McLaren criticized the convoy protesters' "concept of freedom" as "sorely lacking in dialectical analysis", arguing that "they often limited their analysis to the blanket assertion that 'freedom' means the right to say no to any government restrictions on vaccinations, especially those impeding their ability to cross national borders, in this case, crossing freely between Canada and the United States". McLaren also argued that their concept of freedom "is historically linked to settler colonialism, that is, a form of colonialism grounded in exogenous domination, a form of colonialism that seeks to displace the original population of the colonized territory with new groups of settlers who typically justify such colonization through an identification with imperial authority." General Wayne Eyre, Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, said he was "sickened to see protesters dance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrate the National War Memorial", after video of such events surfaced online January 29. In late January 2022, Elon Musk tweeted "Canadian truckers rule" and followed it up with "if you scare people enough, they will demand removal of freedom. This is the path to tyranny". Musk also tweeted "if Canadian government is suppressing peaceful protests, that's where fascism lies". On February 17, Musk tweeted a meme comparing Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler, using a meme sympathetic to Hitler. The tweet was later deleted. The American Jewish Committee condemned Musk's tweet and demanded an apology from him. The Auschwitz Memorial also condemned Musk's tweet. English comedian Russell Brand released a video decrying the media for ignoring reporting on the protest. Brand also said in the video that "truckers, who were previously regarded as heroes when they were delivering vital goods and working during the lockdown, are now villains as they protest vaccine mandates". Krista Haynes, daughter of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and active anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine campaigner, attended a rally in support of the truckers as they headed to Ottawa. The Canadian government attracted strong reaction from Indian social media. Several commentators ridiculed Trudeau, calling the protest Karma for supporting the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest. Actor Kangana Ranaut posted on Instagram, "Canadian PM Trudeau was encouraging Indian protestors... now in the midst of protests in his country he is hiding at a secret location... law of Karma strikes again." Sportsperson Surendra Poonia tweeted "Karma returns! Truckers protest in Canada intensifies... [Trudeau] supported tractors on roads of Delhi now facing same in his own country." Canada India Global Forum, an Indo-Canadian organization, urged Canadian PM to "follow the example of [Indian] Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi in handling peaceful protests through democratic means.” National Association of Indo-Canadians president Azad Kaushik also criticized the Canadian government, tweeting "Canada’s image as a soft power suddenly turns into a hard one unexpected of a 21st century democracy, a loss to not just Canadians but the world." Great Barrington Declaration co-author Martin Kulldorff tweeted in support of the protests. According to the Washington Examiner, psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson offered a "message of congratulations and caution" to the convoy. The Royal Canadian Legion called protesters dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier "shocking" and "strongly condemn[ed]" their actions. The Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies denounced the use of Nazi symbols by some of the protesters. On February 12, Facebook removed anti-vaccine, pro-convoy Facebook groups that were run from Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Romania. Singer and activist Bill Fries, whose song "Convoy" (recorded under his alias C. W. McCall) was used as a rallying cry for the movement, gave his implicit approval for the use of the song in that manner, and was pleased that the movement had caused an uptick in interest in the song, in the final interview he gave before he died. Durham Regional Police Service Constable Erin Howard, who made a video while in uniform in her squad car supporting the protesters and later posted it online in January, was suspended and faced six charges under the Police Services Act, including discreditable conduct and insubordination. Her first court hearing was held over Zoom on May 5, 2022, with the proceeding then being adjourned until June 2022. Some members of the political left were initially hesitant to criticize the convoy because "the truckers were often described as a working-class movement". A study by Vox Pop Labs among a randomly pre-selected sample of 2,339 respondents, conducted between January 4 and 10, 2022, found that around 70 per cent of Canadians were willing to support a general vaccine mandate for all non-exempt adults over the age of 18, while around 30 per cent disagreed. A routine political poll by Léger in Canada questioned respondents on the protest between February 4 and 6, 2022, and found that it was opposed by 62 per cent of respondents, with 47 per cent strongly opposing it. 32 per cent supported it, while 7 per cent were unsure. On its subsequent questionnaire, a further 65 per cent expressed the belief that the convoy represented "a small minority of selfish Canadians," 57 per cent viewed it as "not about vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions" but rather "an opportunity for right wing supremacist groups to rally and voice their frustrations about society," and 52 per cent likened it to the 2021 United States Capitol attack. Opposition to the convoy was highest among respondents living in urban areas, those vaccinated for COVID-19, and those aged 55 and up; while support for the convoy was highest among the unvaccinated, respondents aged 18 to 54, and respondents living in Alberta. Out of all ethnic groups, only White Canadians and Filipino Canadians had a majority support for the event. An Angus Reid Institute poll released on February 14 found that 72 per cent of Canadians polled thought that it was time for protesters to "go home, they have made their point." The poll also found that 65 per cent polled believed Trudeau's response has worsened the situation and 42 per cent said opposition leader Candice Bergen's response has worsened the situation. A Nanos Research poll commissioned by CTV News and released on February 25 found that 51 per cent of Canadians polled thought the protests were ineffective, 15 per cent thought they were somewhat ineffective, 20 per cent thought they were somewhat effective, 12 per cent thought they were effective, and 2 per cent were unsure of the protests' impact. An Economist/YouGov poll conducted from February 12 to 15 found that 80% of Americans had heard of the convoy protests. The poll also found that 44 per cent of Americans opposed the convoy protests, while 40 per cent supported them. Among Republicans, 71 per cent supported the convoy protests, compared to 18 per cent of Democrats. ==See also==