More anti-vaccine protests expected in Canada this weekend

A Canadian protest over vaccine mandates started in Ottawa nearly a week ago, and no immediate end is in sight.

Thousands of demonstrators took part in a convoy that reached Ottawa on Saturday, Jan. 29. In addition, The Canadian Press reports that a second blockade on a major highway leading to the U.S. border crossing in Alberta has choked off traffic.

“Protesters have stopped traffic from going southbound on Highway 4,” Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Curtis Peters told The Canadian Press on Feb. 3. “There’s a crowd there. We are advising the public to avoid the area again.”

Although the protests were started by truckers, many of the thousands supporters appeared to be members of the general public opposed to all vaccine mandates in Canada.

The United States and Canada each have mandates blocking unvaccinated foreign nationals, including truck drivers, from crossing the border. Canada’s mandate, which requires U.S. truckers to show proof of vaccination before entering the country, went into effect Jan. 15. The U.S. mandate, which requires cross-border truckers to be vaccinated, started Jan. 22.

Both rules have been criticized over concerns they would create more supply chain disruptions.

According to a report from The Washington Post, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were no plans to use the military to end the protests in Ottawa. Although the number of protesters has thinned, officials said they expect more demonstrations over the weekend.

The Post reported that Ottawa police have arrested three people in connection with the protests and are investigating dozens of potential crimes. Several of the demonstrators told Fox News that the protests have remained mostly peaceful and that the ones who have committed crimes “have nothing to do with the convoy.”

Donations to the Canadian convoy’s GoFundMe had reached $10 million in Canadian currency but was paused by the fundraising website, the BBC reported. The fundraiser was under review to ensure it complies with the website’s terms of service and applicable laws and regulations.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance has been encouraging truck drivers to comply with the vaccine mandate.

“As an industry, we must adapt and comply with this mandate and the vast majority have,” the trucking organization said in a statement Jan. 29. “While a number of Canadians are in Ottawa to voice their displeasure over this mandate, it also appears that a great number of these protestors have no connection to the trucking industry and have a separate agenda beyond a disagreement over cross border vaccine requirements.” LL