The convoy of truckers occupying Ottawa since Jan. 28 is led by white supremacists. Not only is tolerance of the movement insulting to racialized Canadians, but it is also indicative of Canada’s tolerance for racist actions.
Throwing rocks at an ambulance, yelling racial slurs, flying the Confederate flag, drawing swastikas on Canadian flags, debasing the National War Memorial and Terry Fox statue, and harassing a soup kitchen are only a few examples of the harmful actions these protesters have committed thus far. They not only show blatant disrespect for what our country stands for, but they are also instilling fear in our most vulnerable community members.
This is no small protest. Truckers and supporters have come from all over Canada, representing those who funded this protest through GoFundMe.
The fundraiser initially stated that its goal was to lift the COVID-19 mandate requiring travellers to be fully vaccinated to cross the U.S. border without quarantining. Now, its goals include halting all COVID-19 public health mandates.
GoFundMe suspended the fundraiser for the convoy after its supporters raised over $10 million for food, fuel and shelter for protesters. It was reviewed before GoFundMe announced it did not comply with its terms. It is now offering refunds to donors.
While many argue a small number of radical participants corrupted the rally, the organizers themselves are not guiltless. Benjamin “B.J.” Dichter, co-organizer of the rally, spoke to a crowd at a People’s Party of Canada convention in 2019 to warn of the dangers of “political Islamists.” This insensitive and destructive statement is only one of many racist sentiments put forth by event organizers.
Pat King, a well-known Canadian truck driver who has been a dominant voice in the convoy, spewed similar anti-Muslim hate in a video he tweeted in 2019. This is one of the numerous instances where he has promoted white supremacy in Canada.
It is impossible to separate the intent of these protests from the blatant racism exhibited by supporters and organizers. This much has been proven by their actions throughout the rally. While there may be some participants whose intentions differ from those of the organizers, their tolerance of and association with this hate makes them allies of white supremacists. This is unacceptable.
It is also apparent that if the protests were led by Indigenous peoples protesting for their right to clean water, or Canadians fighting against police brutality, the police would have been much more involved in shutting them down thus far.
Despite the many calls, emails and tweets he has received, Mayor Jim Watson said on Jan. 31 that he was more interested in avoiding “inflaming the situation” than ending the protests—a stark change from his responses to past protests. For example, a week after the protests began, only two arrests had been made. This does not compare to the 12 arrests made during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Ottawa.
To add insult to injury, police allowed protestors to build a wooden structure at Confederation Park and stockpile propane and diesel fuel. Such tolerance has never been shown to the homeless encampments that police dismantled in the past.
Meanwhile, citizens and businesses have been forced to suffer financial losses and pause activity at a time when the pandemic has already done so much damage. Peter Sloly, the city’s chief of police, has since added reinforcements, yet many citizens are still forced to stay indoors due to the barricaded streets and elevated risk of exposure to COVID-19.
In opposition to the mayor’s statement, Sloly stated on Jan. 31 that the rally was enormous and dangerous. While the mayor’s reasoning was that he did not want to cause any mini-riots—which have already happened—his passivity is a privilege that protests organized by racialized communities have never received.
Rather than allow protests centred on racism and intolerance to continue, the city must rise to support the Ottawans who are affected. Canada’s choice to invoke the Emergency Measures Act must support the racialized communities hurt most by this occupation. Canadians must not allow any tolerance of this hate. Without it, Canada would be a much better place.
Featured image by Isaac Phan Nay.
