"Freedom Convoys" "People's Convoy" Canadian & US Trucker Protests against COVID Vaccine Mandates & Other Grievances

[p0rtia]

I am not bothered by the fact that someone/some group of ones is funding the truckers. That's going on everywhere: money pouring into the pockets of racists, hate groups, anti-science groups, etc.

What bothers me is the media and politicians pretend that this is not fascism at work; that the money is coming from malign entities who don't give a shit about truckers or vaccines, but only want The Power they think they can get from backing the disruptors.

Yes, GoFundMe is absolutely right not to be a conduit for this flow of cash--unless they want to be classified as a partner of a lot of hate and violence. That is the job of the right-wing equivalents.

And MSM will gaze deeply into Jen Psaki's eyes and ask her what Biden is doing wrong because more people are not vaccinated. What a pack of sheep.

[tek]

I think Trump should set up a GoFundMe-like company to fund these sorts for things.

[filly]

Start arresting drivers, revoking operating licenses, revoking vehicle registrations, and impounding vehicles.

Also, if there are trucks there owned by other-than-the-drivers, start putting pressure on the owners. Maybe EXTREMELY careful customs inspections at the border for their other trucks.

IMHO, of course.

Interesting, but who will make the arrests and impound the vehicles?

Putting the pressure on owners (or lenders, as is probably the case for many of the independent drivers) is a good idea.

[filly]

I am not bothered by the fact that someone/some group of ones is funding the truckers. That's going on everywhere: money pouring into the pockets of racists, hate groups, anti-science groups, etc.

What bothers me is the media and politicians pretend that this is not fascism at work; that the money is coming from malign entities who don't give a shit about truckers or vaccines, but only want The Power they think they can get from backing the disruptors.

Yes, GoFundMe is absolutely right not to be a conduit for this flow of cash--unless they want to be classified as a partner of a lot of hate and violence. That is the job of the right-wing equivalents.

And MSM will gaze deeply into Jen Psaki's eyes and ask her what Biden is doing wrong because more people are not vaccinated. What a pack of sheep.

This doesn't bother you? It bothers me. This is having a terrible effect on international trade, transportation, and people's jobs. Also, there are a significant number of health care workers that use that bridge everyday to commute to Michigan to work. So there's economic AND people's literal lives at stake.

Railing at the MSM is fine, but it's not problem solving.

[Gregg]

Does anyone here have any ideas about resolving this?

I watched the CNN report yesterday about this and they interviewed a dude in the cab of his truck in Ottawa. He said he had 4 kids and was losing hundreds of dollars a day by sitting in the blockade instead of, you know, working. He claimed to be fully vaxxed, but against his will. Anyway at some point these people will run out of funds unless they are being funded by somebody. In the meantime, enormous economic damage is being done to the US and Canadian businesses and economies. Which is, of course, the entire point.

So I was thinking about how to resolve this, but the options seem untenable: let these people do whatever they want (which is unclear) or use a massive LE or military operation to clear them out. Are there other options?

Revoke their CDLs, give driving credentials to Aphgani refugees who have experience driving trucks. Send the former truck drivers applications to the local Wendy's to solve the real problem, which is long drive through waits at peak times.

[Dave from down under]

Start arresting drivers, revoking operating licenses, revoking vehicle registrations, and impounding vehicles.

Also, if there are trucks there owned by other-than-the-drivers, start putting pressure on the owners. Maybe EXTREMELY careful customs inspections at the border for their other trucks.

IMHO, of course.

Interesting, but who will make the arrests and impound the vehicles?

Putting the pressure on owners (or lenders, as is probably the case for many of the independent drivers) is a good idea.

In Canberra - it was the police who did the arresting and impounding (using civilian tow truck companies).
(pictures in link below)

Bonus - one of those who was protesting was arrested for also having an illegal (sawn off) firearm..

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/ ... /100804310

[Gregg]

Start arresting drivers, revoking operating licenses, revoking vehicle registrations, and impounding vehicles.

Also, if there are trucks there owned by other-than-the-drivers, start putting pressure on the owners. Maybe EXTREMELY careful customs inspections at the border for their other trucks.

IMHO, of course.

Believe it or not, most of the US/Canada freight I receive here doesn't get any inspection at the border, there are programs of trusted shippers much like TSA Pre check except for trucks and the trailers are never opened (they do have seals from the sending dock and if that seal is broken when we get it, its a thing). I dunno about the cabs of the trucks. Its typical for us that we broker a driver to pull a sealed trailer on an online exchange and not through set companies. I know that every day we have trailers setting on docks throughout our supply chain and down stream waiting on driver to bid on hauling it.

[raison de arizona]

Councillor Diane Deans, chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board, on truckers protesting mandates:

"This is treason—this is way bigger. This is a group of well-polished professional people that are trying to overthrow the government...It's really an insurrection."

[Phoenix520]

I agree, start arresting the drivers. Send the Mounties right to the center of the snarl, get as many as you can, and tow their trucks. Wash, rinse, repeat. There must be one or two pirate tow companies who won’t toe the line; use them. Send the bills to the trucking company owners -Net 10, Jail 30.

Doing nothing, or only doing what the law allows, won’t help one bit. These disruptors understand that ingrained mindset - don’t be like them, don’t break the law -understand how hard it is to go against it, and count on it to use against the authorities.

Or…call Superman?

[Dave from down under]

Start at the front and rear of the rioters..
Move on or be arrested..
no... you are under arrest... into the cuffs and into the wagon
Tow and impound the trucks
Continue till there is no more rioters.

Then if anyone wants their truck back... the full legal process - via the courts and on full payment of towing and storage.. if not paid within prescribed period - sell the trucks.

Do not release any truck until complete road worthiness assessment is done (billing the owner as permitted) and to no-one who's logbooks are not squeaky clean and who has a valid drivers license (down here your drivers license can be suspended for traffic offenses and failure to pay fines - truckers logbook offences apply to the driver and the company they are working for - and can be massive).

If no tow company is willing to undertake this work - no problem - bring in Canadian Armoured/Transport Corp to do the moving of the vehicles.
Then audit and inspect each one of those tow truck companies and take no prisoners and disqualify them from tendering for government contracts for 5 years.

Treat them to the full weight of the laws and the consequences of the rioters being revolting.

[Dave from down under]

If any of the rioters are not Canadian - put them into immigration detention before deporting them.

[Dave from down under]

When arrested - full blood test for any prescribed drug (including alcohol) - here it is 0 for either for truck drivers down here (too many nodoz deaths - cf log books etc)

[p0rtia]

I am not bothered by the fact that someone/some group of ones is funding the truckers. That's going on everywhere: money pouring into the pockets of racists, hate groups, anti-science groups, etc.

What bothers me is the media and politicians pretend that this is not fascism at work; that the money is coming from malign entities who don't give a shit about truckers or vaccines, but only want The Power they think they can get from backing the disruptors.

Yes, GoFundMe is absolutely right not to be a conduit for this flow of cash--unless they want to be classified as a partner of a lot of hate and violence. That is the job of the right-wing equivalents.

And MSM will gaze deeply into Jen Psaki's eyes and ask her what Biden is doing wrong because more people are not vaccinated. What a pack of sheep.

This doesn't bother you? It bothers me. This is having a terrible effect on international trade, transportation, and people's jobs. Also, there are a significant number of health care workers that use that bridge everyday to commute to Michigan to work. So there's economic AND people's literal lives at stake.

Railing at the MSM is fine, but it's not problem solving.

I do not merely rail; I send earnest tweets to recalcitrant media outlets, pointing out their shortcomings.

[Gregg]

The Ontario Trucking Association issued a statement disavowing the protests and insisting “most protesters have no connection to the trucking industry.” Likewise, Canadian press reports from the Ambassador Bridge said big rigs there are outnumbered by pickup trucks and sedans, suggesting many protesters come from other segments of society.

Auto industry already feeling the pinch from Canadian bridge blockade

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... est-autos/

[Flatpoint High]

check out "United We Roll"
https://globalnews.ca/news/8603662/sylv ... t-charged/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/united- ... -1.5030419

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2022/02/cana ... ti-vaccine

https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/ent ... a_23673410

https://pressprogress.ca/co-op-says-its ... k-workers/

[RVInit]

If any of the rioters are not Canadian - put them into immigration detention before deporting them.

I watched a CNN report where many of these yahoos were interviewed and only one of them had a hint of Canadian accent. it's already been pretty well established that only a couple hundred of these are actually Canadian truckers at most. The others are rwnj taking advantage as usual, likely mostly American. Just like they took advantage of BLM protests, committed crimes, and blamed it on BLM.

I would love to see the non-Canadians suffer extreme inconvenience and worse. Make an example of them and make it hurt so much they won't pull this shit again.

[SlimSloSlider]

A website identifying the trucks at the siege - there are 183 companies listed.
Most are owner operators and some of the company names/logos are not their own but rather of the outfits they sub-contract for.
Understandably, some of those companies are less than gruntled.

https://convoytraitors.ca/rolodex/

The « Idiots » photo page is worth a look.

[Dave from down under]

A bit more coverage from down here..

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-10/ ... /100820532

Car manufacturers Ford and Toyota have halted production as anti-coronavirus mandate protesters blocked US-Canada border crossings that have prompted warnings from Washington and Ottawa of economic damage.

Key points:
The 'Freedom Convoy' protesters have been blocking key trade lines in Canada for nearly two weeks
The disruptions have now forced car manufacturers Ford and Toyota to temporarily halt production
Canadian politicians have warned protesters that their actions will negatively impact the country's economy

[Dave from down under]

and like the virus they want to spread.. their stupidity is an inspiration for other selfish stupid people..

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-10/ ... /100818610

New Zealand anti-vaccine mandate protesters are facing off with police outside parliament where they remain for a third day.

Key points:
Police have began forcefully removing hundreds of people who have been camping outside parliament
The protests began on Tuesday and have seen vehicles blocking streets in the capital
New Zealand has had some of world's the toughest COVID-19 restrictions in place

The protest, which began on Tuesday and was designed to replicate the "Freedom Convoy" action by Canadian truckers, attracted demonstrators from all corners of the country.

Similar protests have taken place in Australia, with thousands of demonstrators gathering in Canberra since last week to protest against COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions.

One woman who demanded Prime Minister Scott Morrison should be sent "to the gallows" was yesterday escorted into Parliament House by former government MP Craig Kelly.

[RVInit]

I really wish reporters would quit saying the Freedom Convoy "by Canadian truckers". The Freedom Convoy HAS some Canadian truckers but it mostly consists of outsiders. Just say it, dammit! Quit playing into the hands of these people who use a small protest for their own ends. I'm tired of this crap. I guess this could be added to "The Media is the problem" thread. Shanking. Shaking. My. Damn. Head.

[raison de arizona]

They're putting Americans out of work at this point, that aspect should be publicized widely.

[RVInit]

They're putting Americans out of work at this point, that aspect should be publicized widely.

This too. Also.

[Volkonski]

Drew
@nolifeneet
Sovereign Citizen / Freeman on the Land group at the Ottawa convoy encampment swearing in people as "peace officers" which they say gives them authority to make arrests.

"Canadian Common Corps of Peace Officers" is an old project of Robert Menard's, a Freeman on the Land figure

[Volkonski]

U.S. truckers planning protest convoy, perhaps starting in L.A. for Super Bowl, DHS warns

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-trucker ... =151606877

The Department of Homeland Security is warning U.S. law enforcement agencies that a group of truckers is planning a protest of COVID-19 vaccine mandates that could start as soon as this weekend in Los Angeles, site of the Super Bowl.

The bulletin, obtained by CBS News, says the convoy could then head east, perhaps reaching Washington, D.C. in time for President Biden's State of the Union address on March 1.

The bulletin warns that the convoy "could severely disrupt transportation, federal government, and law enforcement operations through gridlock and potential counterprotests."

The warning comes as the trucker protest in Canada begins to hinder production at some U.S. auto plants that are running short on parts.

[Volkonski]

CNN International
@cnni
· 46m
The US-Canada border crossing at Emerson, Manitoba, and Pembina, North Dakota, has been shut down by protesters demonstrating against Covid-19 mandates, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Manitoba.

Follow live updates. https://cnn.it/3oHQVxZ