【Article/Observer Network Columnist Sun Bo】
"Canada is in chaos!" "Ottawa declared a state of emergency!" "Nationwide riots in Canada!" ......
For several consecutive days, such headlines frequently brushed the screen, attracting the crowd of melon eaters at home and abroad.
Is Canada really a mess? As the news came out that the truck parade was going to "switch" to Toronto from Ottawa, I interviewed several Canadian truck drivers, current affairs commentators, IT staff, and others. In response to the endless protests and demonstrations, they said that "it is tolerable and intolerable", and strongly hoped that governments at all levels would step up their collusion to solve the problem and return my peaceful life.
Resentment accumulates to a certain extent and will be reversed
Under Canada's existing system, it is their right for some truck drivers to protest against mandatory epidemic prevention measures. The government requires truck drivers entering and leaving the country to provide proof of vaccination when entering the country, and those who cannot provide proof of vaccination must stop work and implement quarantine for a sufficient number of days. As a result, 32,000 of the 160,000 border truck drivers could be left as a result. In recent years, drivers have suffered a lot of blows on issues such as carbon taxes, and the latest vaccine regulations will also affect their means of livelihood, so there have been "free motorcade" protests.
Mu Ran, a veteran commentator on current affairs and former deputy editor-in-chief of Canada's Sing Tao Daily, believes that the government needs to do so for vaccination requirements. Although truck drivers believe it is their freedom not to get vaccinated, the government cannot come to his house.
However, although truck drivers work individually and have less contact with crowds, the goods they carry to thousands of households can be understood as "must serve". The government defines work related to people's livelihood by serving the public, such as government personnel, police, medical personnel, teachers, etc. From this point of view, truck drivers can also be counted as "must serve", the government has the right to instruct you to do so, and most will not accept a potential carrier to serve you, including truck drivers who deliver goods.
The cause of this incident was in the United States, and the Biden administration had previously made a similar regulation, but when the truck driver objected, it was canceled. The result of this change of heart has inspired Canadian drivers, but the Trudeau government has been tough on the fight against the epidemic.
The protest also caught the attention of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who issued a statement last week praising the movement. "Free Teams is peacefully protesting Against Trudeau's harsh policies, who destroyed Canada with a frantic COVID-19 order," he said. ”
Mu Ran pointed out that the focus of this matter is to protest against the truck drivers whose freedoms are violated by the government, and once the demonstration and protest action is launched, it will inevitably infringe on the freedoms of other ordinary citizens, and those who feel hurt by the protest drivers will also stand up and seek legal stops.
Mr. Lee is a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Centretown residents who endured relentless noise over truck protests. Lee said it was all about helping her community. Source: CTV
For example, a 21-year-old Chinese girl, Zexi Li, launched a collective complaint against truck drivers for $10 million for nuisance. She noted that the current living conditions of downtown Ottawa residents are "intolerable." On the 7th, Li Zexi said in an interview with TV: "Some people have to evacuate their homes because they can't stand the long-term noise, which is really painful for us." ”
On the 8th, Ontario High Court Judge Hugh McLean first issued a 10-day ban, prohibiting truck drivers parked on the city streets of downtown Ottawa from constantly honking their horns, this is just the beginning, and more people will join in the future, such as merchants, dealers, manufacturers, and even truck drivers who have been vaccinated in the same industry, they have survived the epidemic normal work, blocked by some of you, there will be complaints, resentment will accumulate to a certain extent, it will be reversed.
Mu Ran said that the Windsor port is extremely important for Ontario's economic recovery, and Governor Ford will not resign himself to it. Ford also stressed: "Ambassador Bridge is an important trade crossing point between Canada and the United States. Many essential service workers, including frontline health workers, rely on it to commute to and from work, and police are on the scene to ensure traffic safety. ”
The "Ambassador Bridge" operator, the Detroit International Bridge Company, called on officials to act quickly to resolve the chaos. On the evening of the 7th, the federal government, the Ontario government, and Ottawa Mayor Watson held a tripartite meeting to discuss a solution. Watson asked the federal and Ontario governments for an additional 1,800 police officers, an number almost equal to all officers in the entire Ottawa Police Force.
The city of Ottawa currently spends $1.8 million to $2.2 million a day to control demonstrators. Mayor Watson hopes that when things are over, he will pass all the costs on to a higher level of government. The Ottawa City Council voted monday to petition calling on the federal government to assume responsibility for public safety in the Congressional district in order to free up Ottawa Police to protect the city's residents.
Truck drivers stop near Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, and fly the Canadian flag in the front of the car. Source: The Associated Press
Now that Ottawa is paralyzed, the government has issued a state of emergency, and then the U.S.-Canada checkpoint is blocked, friends outside of Canada have asked him, "Is Canada in such a mess?" Mu Ran said that the fact is that everything is fine. The continuation of protest and the continuation of life are two parallel tracks, and if there is any inconvenience, it can be overcome and endured in the short term.
A Chinese truck driver in Toronto showed up
However, the eyes of the masses are shining. According to a latest poll by Leger Survey, Canadians are divided over the "Freedom Motorcade" protests that swept across the country, with 62 per cent opposing their demands and 32 per cent agreeing.
Leger Polls interviewed 1,546 Canadian nationals on February 4-6 for advice on the matter. Asked, "In general, do you agree with the message of the protests, such as against mandatory vaccinations, reductions in public health measures, etc., or do you oppose these demands?" ”
In the face of this problem, the proportion of strong support and some degree of support expressed were 15% and 17% respectively. The proportion of those who expressed strong opposition and some degree of opposition were 47% and 15%, respectively, 7% said they did not know, and 65% of respondents said they did not know. It can therefore be seen that the so-called free motorcade protesters represent only a small group of selfish Canadians.
In addition, Abacus Data also conducted a poll of 500 Ottawa residents on February 4-7, and the results showed that 67% expressed opposition or strong opposition to the Freedom Team's demands, and 22% expressed support or strong support. 87 per cent of the public believe that the demonstrators have been given sufficient opportunities to express their demands, and 54 per cent believe that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has done poorly or very poorly in handling the matter. In response to the demonstrators' demand to abolish all public health measures and anti-epidemic regulations, 34% of respondents expressed support and 66% expressed opposition.
Of the 67 percent of residents who opposed the convoy, 53 percent thought the Ottawa Police Department handled things badly or very badly. Source: Abacus Data
Mr. Feng, a truck driver in Toronto who has been working in long-distance transportation for many years, contacted him when I contacted him, he had just driven from the United States into Canada and was preparing to return to Toronto. He parked his car in front of a gas station in Ontario and gave a telephone interview over coffee.
In recent years, he has mainly run the Toronto to New Jersey and Philadelphia routes, three times a week. The Niagara Falls region of Canada is connected to the United States by three bridges: fort Erie Peace Bridge, Rainbow Bridge, and Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.
Mr. Fung mainly takes the Lewiston-Queenston Arch Bridge, which crosses the Niagara River and connects Lewiston, New York, USA, to Queenston, Niagara-on-the-Lake Township, Ontario, Canada, with the western end of Ontario Highway 405 and the eastern end of Interstate 190. He said that doing long-distance transportation in this line, time connection is very important, it can be said that every second counts, if you encounter heavy snow on the road for several hours, the consequences are unimaginable, not to mention the closure of the bridge there is no way to go.
Mr. Feng's truck company did not participate in this demonstration, he and all colleagues in the company, he has already been three shots of anti-new crown vaccine, the company is currently operating normally, the business has not been affected, if the demonstration continues, it is difficult to estimate.
Truck drivers marched to Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, on Feb. 7 to support truck drivers in Ottawa, paralyzing two-way traffic. On the morning of February 8, transportation to the United States began to reopen to a limited extent, slowly, but the U.S. checkpoint into Canada was closed by U.S. border personnel. The Ambassador Bridge is recognized as the busiest international commercial land crossing in North America, with more than 40,000 people and more than 8,000 trucks passing through it every day, with a total freight value of nearly $400 million a day, equivalent to 27% of the trade volume between the United States and Canada, and relying on this important border for fruits, vegetables, auto parts and household appliances.
The Freedom Motorcade began a demonstration at ambassadors' bridge, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying: "Some people are trying to block our economy, our democracy and the daily lives of our compatriots, and the protests must stop." Source: The New York Post
Mr. Feng pointed out that on the evening of the 8th, a colleague passed through the Windsor crossing the Border Crossing "without any danger", and he used the Wyandotte St. West entrance to enter the "Ambassador Bridge", but the speed was also much slower than usual. In conclusion, he said that the hard work of driving is to support his family, and he hopes that the leaders of the demonstrations will wake up as soon as possible, sit down with the relevant government departments and negotiate well, hoping to solve the problem once and for all.
If U.S. fruits and vegetables cannot be shipped to Canada, it will affect the economy
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly stressed that the ongoing anti-mandatory vaccine protests in Ottawa "seek to block our economy, our democracy and the daily lives of our people, and the protests must stop as soon as possible." ”
A joint statement by federal ministers on the situation in Ottawa reads: "Over the past weekend, there have been demonstrations in various parts of the country. In general, these demonstrations were peaceful and legitimate. This is thanks to the local police ensuring that the law is strictly and fairly enforced, and thanks to the patience and understanding of residents and businesses. However, ongoing traffic disruptions in downtown Ottawa remain particularly worrisome. The citizens of Ottawa have had to endure the serious disruption to their lives — not to mention acts of destruction, harassment and the hatred and violence they showed. This is unacceptable. No matter how much a few people think they can override public health measures, they cannot escape the law. ”
Su Dongliang, general manager of Canada Greenland Agriculture and vice president of the Canada-China Agricultural Promotion Association, said that the demonstration accelerated social division and would cause major damage if the government could not find a way to control the situation and effectively unite everyone politically, socially and economically. 45% of Ontario's imports are shipped through the Ambassador Bridge, further hurting the already chaotic supply chain, but it is difficult to assess how much of an impact has been on rising food prices.
Logistics costs are getting higher and higher, freight times are getting longer and longer, if the demonstrations of truck drivers continue, logistics may even be interrupted, and common food shelves in supermarkets may become empty, which was difficult to imagine in the past.
On February 7, the mayor of Ottawa declared a state of emergency while asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to immediately end Canada's restrictions on the outbreak. Source: The New York Post
He pointed out that so far there has been no direct impact, but if it continues for another week or two, it will affect the downstream of the supermarket. Supermarkets from upstream wholesalers to buy goods, 80% or 90% from the United States, Mexico and other countries, meat out of stock can also be made up from the local, but vegetables and fruits can not be done. Vegetables and fruits and other foods have a lifespan, once the transportation is delayed, can not arrive in time, food spoilage and so on will cause a series of problems. In short, to see the future development of the demonstration, if the situation further deteriorates, it will lead to insufficient supply, and even the situation that goods cannot be transported in, it will definitely be transmitted to the downstream supermarkets, and it will be difficult to escape a new round of price increases.
In addition, with his provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta announcing the cancellation of vaccine certificates, Su Dongliang believes that local governments can alleviate the contradictions between truck drivers and the federal government, and create space for mutually acceptable reconciliation between the federal government and protesters. In short, it is sincerely hoped that the current demonstrations will be temporary.
The mind of a citizen of Ottawa fluttered
In the recent week, truck protests have created a troubling situation in Ottawa. Residents have been living in nightmares and suffering mental torture, and IT worker Uncle Ding is one of them. Of course, her views on the truck protests have also changed psychologically.
"Truck drivers are going to drive from Vancouver to Ottawa's Parliament Hill to protest!" At first, she didn't pay much attention to the posts sent by her Vancouver friends. She is not a politically sensitive person, and only probably knows that the cause is the vaccine restrictions on truck drivers on the US-Canada border. Canada is a democratic and liberal country, and it is only natural to express one's views in protest marches.
She does her own IT work and has been working from home. Truck drivers are not so lucky, they have to drive trucks to and from place to place. Because of the limitations of vaccine certificates, they lost their jobs and are very sympathetic. They have the power to express their grievances, although I don't agree with their views on vaccine policy.
Shu Ding likes to exercise outdoors, the immune system is relatively strong, and there is not much new crown panic. But she knows the mortal toll of covid-19 to high-risk groups, so I think taking certain precautions, including covid-19 vaccinations, is a very necessary outbreak response strategy.
On February 5, she and her husband went ski hiking in Giatinow Park, north of Ottawa' River. On Highway 417, after several road bridges, many people wore The Canadian Maple Leaf Flag to support truck drivers from afar, as if it were Canada Day. By the time they left the park at three o'clock in the afternoon and drove back, 900 meters from the Champlain Bridge, a road bridge connecting Giatineau and Ottawa, the car could not move, and the front was heavily blocked.
In protest against the mandatory vaccine, Ottawa residents who support the "free fleet" provide fuel support to truck drivers. Source: The Associated Press
Not knowing how long it took, Google GPS suggested taking a detour to Macdonald-Carter Bridge, another bridge near downtown. When they drove past, it was only about 400 meters away from the upper bridge, and the traffic was blocked again. Wait again, but unfortunately the bridge in front of you is sealed. They had to turn around again and go back to the Champleasen Bridge, where they had started, and halfway through, they decided to go get something to eat first. Finally, by the time the Champleasen Bridge was clear and I was back in Ottawa, it was seven o'clock in the evening. Usually half an hour's walk, they walked for nearly four hours.
"After a few hours of being stuck in the car, I started to resent truck drivers," she said. You have the right to express yourself, but we in Ottawa also have the right to live a normal life. But I thought about it and began to blame myself, I just went skiing and delayed the return trip, and it took a few more hours. Truck drivers, on the other hand, have lost their jobs and can't work. ”
However, since then, events have become more and more out of control. Friends who live in the city say they can't go to work because they're afraid they can't go back. Sleep badly at night because the truck horn is ringing all the time, from day to night. A friend is recovering from COVID-19, and you can imagine how these noises affect her.
The Lido Mall was forced to close because many of those involved in the protests entered the mall without masks. Some friends who run restaurants said that restaurants had to be closed, these days were supposed to catch up with the Spring Festival and Ontario open can dine-in, could have had a very good turnover, the result of the truck to send ingredients can not drive in, qiao kitchen is difficult to cook without rice. Not to mention that because trucks are blocking the road, guests who want to come dare not come. Truck drivers fought over losing their jobs, but they lost business to owners of restaurants and shops in Ottawa.
"I believe that truck drivers' original intention was to lift the requirements for vaccine certificates for truck drivers at the U.S.-Canada border, but now I see and hear more than that," she said. Among the signs of the protests were many Canadian maple leaf flags, which represented liberal democracy, but there were also many flags that cursed Trudeau, and there were also people who saw the Nazi flag and the Star of David flag that identified Jews. It seems that the final call was to ban all measures to control the epidemic, and even to remove the Trudeau government. There have also been individual attacks on residents wearing masks. Leaving aside all this, so many behemoth trucks are crowded together, and if there is a fire and explosion, the consequences are unimaginable. ”
During the truck driver protests, a local woman crossed the street in front of a parked truck. Source: The New York Post
Shu Ding said she didn't know if that was the truck drivers' wishes. But in any case, downtown Ottawa is in a state where "it is tolerable and intolerable."
She concluded: "I can understand the demands of truck drivers and I respect their right to express their attitudes." But is it really desirable to use trucks to occupy downtown Ottawa and Parliament Hill and interfere with the normal lives of Ottawa residents? If you want your attitude to be seen and heard, that's the end, and the truck protests on Parliament Hill in Ottawa have made world headlines. So, I hope truck drivers go home sooner and give peace and quiet back to Ottawa! ”
At this point, it was revealed that the truck parade in Ottawa, which lasted for nearly two weeks, would shift its position to Toronto, threatening that "it would be epic." On the 9th, the Toronto police have begun to close the road, and the area around the Ontario Provincial Capital Building has once again entered a state of emergency alert.
On the evening of the 8th, Chris Barber, one of the organizers of the protest, posted a video on social platforms suggesting that Toronto would be the next target of the team's protests. He said in the video that Ottawa didn't work very well with them on law enforcement, so he decided to leave for Toronto on Wednesday. At the same time, he also explained in the video that the decision was made because Ottawa law enforcement made it a little difficult for them, and Toronto should be better. He also mentioned that due to their continued destruction in the capital, they are now facing a $10 million lawsuit.
In this regard, the Toronto police responded at the first time. On Wednesday morning, Toronto police said on social media platforms: "This means that Queen's Park Circle between College Street and Brown Street in downtown Toronto has been cordoned off and on alert, effective immediately!" ”。 The police also revealed that more roads may be further blocked in the coming days, reminding the public to avoid going to the blocked area as much as possible.
After the convoy "swept" Ottawa, did it really want to "trample" Toronto again? The police are already waiting, begging not to repeat the mistakes of the past!
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