Published: January 29, 2022
By: Christina Coulter and Harriet Alexander
- A convoy of 50,000 trucks, stretching over 40 miles long, has arrived in the Canadian capital, Ottawa
- The convoy set out from British Columbia on Sunday and was cheered by hundreds of Canadians as it made its 2,000-mile journey to protest vaccine mandates
- Since mid January, Canada and the United States have imposed a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for foreign truck drivers crossing the border between the two countries
- Canadian drivers are unable to enter the U.S. unless they are vaccinated, and U.S. drivers are unable to enter Canada
- Furthermore, unvaccinated Canadian drivers returning home must get tested and quarantine
- Unvaccinated American truckers are not forced to test and quarantine when returning to the U.S.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the huge group a 'small fringe minority' and pointed out 90 percent of Canadians are vaccinated
- The group plan to protest in Ottawa over the weekend, with some vowing to stay until the government rescinds the vaccine mandate
A huge convoy of up to 50,000 Canadian truck drivers arrived in Ottawa on Friday night ahead of a planned protest this weekend against vaccine mandates for drivers.
Since January 15, all Canadian truck drivers who are unvaccinated must take a COVID-19 test and quarantine when driving back from the United States.
They are not allowed into the U.S. unless they are vaccinated, and American drivers are not allowed into Canada unless they show their certificate.
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American drivers returning to the U.S., however, do not need to take a test and quarantine.
Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, has dismissed the protest from the truckers as a disgruntled few, pointing out that almost 90 percent of his country is vaccinated.
Yet the drivers in the so-called 'Freedom Convoy' are angry at his mandate, and plan this weekend on showing the strength of their sentiment in the Canadian capital at the end of a 2,000 mile protest rally.
Canadian truck drivers are seen in Ottawa on Friday ahead of a planned weekend of protest against COVID-19 vaccine rules
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The convoy - at times comprising of 50,000 vehicles, organizers said - is seen on Friday beginning to arrive in Ottawa
A truck driver flying the Canadian flag is seen driving into the capital on Friday
A vehicle from the convoy is seen on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday
Ottawa's residents are bracing themselves for a weekend of snarled traffic as the truckers arrive
Truckers demanding that Canada remain 'glorious and free' arrive in Ottawa on Friday
The convoy assembled in British Columbia on Sunday, and were joined by other protesters driving from the east and the south of the country.
Truckers from the US - who are only allowed into Canada if they are vaccinated - have also joined the massive convoy.
Canadian Trucking Magazine publisher Dave Mackenzie, who is a working long-haul trucker, told West Standard Online that some U.S. truckers were driving from North Dakota to Portal Saskatchewan, where they intend to cross the border and join the group.
Some of the group's leaders are calling for a peaceful event, but statements from some associated with the group have included threats of violence.
Ottawa police said they would be out in force and ready to arrest anyone who breaks the law.
They said on Friday that they have also called in 'reinforcements'.
A top Parliament official warned lawmakers to avoid the protest and to lock their doors amid reports their private homes may be targeted.
'It's 70 kilometers long,' Benjamin Dichter, a spokesman for the Freedom Convoy 2022, told the Toronto Sun after it passed Calgary heading west on Wednesday.
'I have seen footage from an airplane. It's impressive.'
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