‘Slow roll’ convoy to hit Hamilton, in support of Ottawa occupation

Hamilton | Ontario | Community | COVID | Latest News | Politics | Traffic |

By

Published February 4, 2022 at 7:25 pm

Hamiltonians can expect horn-honking and traffic snarls on Saturday, as a “slow roll” convoy plans to creep across the city.

The convoy, which has been organized by a local group in suport of what became an occupation near Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa over the past week, will link up at Battlefield House Museum in Stoney Creek around 10 a.m. tomorrow (Feb. 5). They will move out around 11 a.m.; an online posting from an organizer say that the Hamilton Police Service will close an intersection at King Street and Centennial Parkway in order to allow the convoyers to stay together. They plan to ead west on King toward Hamilton City Hall, then on to Dundurn Street and finally on to Main Street.

Eventually, the convoy will head on to eastbound Highway 403 to join a demonstration at Queen’s Park in Toronto. Healthcare workers at nearby hospitals were told on Thursday not wear clothing that could identify them as working in healthcare, according to report by Global News.

An organizer of the Hamilton-originating convoy, whose Facebook avatar was a logo reading, “I support truck drivers against Mandates,” told other supporters and participants to be peaceful.

“Folks I wanna be very clear this is 100% a peaceful slow roll and gathering to show our support for those that are doing so much for our #FREEDOM in Ottawa and around the country, if anyone sees anyone not being peaceful or causing any problems please record them call them out and contact a police officer.”

Reports in other Hamilton media portals says the Hamilton Police Service is aware of the potential disruption, and will try to minimize the effect on the public.

While not all convoy supporters may hold racist or far right-wing views, white supremacists were involved in the organization of the cross-Canada convoy. It began in British Columbia and crossed through Southern Ontario on Jan. 28 before a demonstration on Parliament Hill last Saturday (Jan. 29). The initial beef was the end of a federal COVID-19 vaccination exemption for truck drivers, and provincially administred COVID-19 restrictions. At the Jan. 29 demonstration, Confederate and Nazi flags were flown.

A memorandum of understanding drafted by participants also called for the dissolution of Canada’s democratically elected government. The nation just had an election in September, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada were able to form their third consecutive government.

Numerous Ottawa residents have reported being intimidated by participants in the occupation, and the Rideau Centre mall and downtown Ottawa schools also had to close. On Friday, Ottawa lawyer Paul Champ filled a $9.8-million class-action lawsuit against the convoy organizers on behalf of downtown Ottawa residents who have faced what the suit calls “the constant and excruciatingly loud horns of the defendants’ Freedom Convoy.”

The lawsuit was first reported by CTV News.

On Friday, GoFundMe announced the fundraiser for the convoy has now been removed from the platform. It had surpassed $10 million before it was suspended. They said their terms of services had been violated.

“We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity,” GoFundMe said.

Conservative Party of Canada members of Parliament, including now-former leader Erin O’Toole, fellow former leader Andrew Scheer, interim leader Candice Bergen and finance critic Pierre Poilievre, have expressed support for the convoy.

O’Toole, who represents the Durham riding, was ousted as CPC leader on Wednesday.

Quebec City-area CPC MP Pierre Paul-Hus criticized his party’s actions on Friday.

Sen. Dennis Patterson, who represents Nunavut, quit the CPC caucus on Friday over the party’s refusal to denounce what has been happening in the nation’s capital.

“I was really very distressed not seeing a condemnation of the lawless occupation of the Ottawa downtown, the holding of hostage of part of our democracy,” he told CBC’s “Power and Politics.”

In 2020, research led by the U.K.-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) think-tank showed Canadians, on average, were more active in spreading right-wing extremism than people in Great Britain and the United States.

Like much of Canada, Hamilton has been confronted with how to confront the spreading of white supremacist, mysogynistic or radical views, that may get attached to an economic or social issue that is a legimate concern.

Throughout 2019, Yellow Vest demonstrations were a regular occurrence on Saturdays outside of Hamilton City Hall.

In June of that year, right-wing radicals also attacked and assaulted members of the Hamilton LGBTQ+ community at a Pride festival in Gage Park. An independent review later concluded that Hamilton Police Service was under-prepared for what might happen, and “failed to protect” festival attendees.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising