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Thousands protest vaccine mandates in Canada, further fraying nerves

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On Saturday thousands protested in Canadian cities including Toronto as peaceful, but loud, demonstrations against vaccination mandates were spread by Ottawa.

While the Freedom Convoy was originally formed to protest a Canadian requirement that cross-border truckers be vaccinated, it has evolved into an international movement in support of public health and against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.

Robert said that he was tired of being forced to follow mandates and intimidation. He did not identify himself. “We want to get back to normal and not have to take the poison that they call vaccines into our bloodstreams.”

Protesters were forced to leave downtown Ottawa for the past eight days, with some participants waving Confederate or Nazi flags and some saying they wanted to dissolve Canada’s government.

“The Ottawa protestors have proved their point. Omar Alghabra (Transport Minister) said that the entire country had heard them. He urged protestors to “go home” and get involved with elected officials.

Ottawa police reported that four hate crimes were brought against them and that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation was conducting an investigation into threats made against public officials.

Police say the well-organized protest was partly funded by sympathizers from the United States. On Saturday, demonstrators brought in portable saunas to fight frigid temperatures.

According to social media, one man was seen riding through the region on horseback with a Trump flag. Trump was a former president of the United States and spoke out for truckers in opposition to Justin Trudeau’s harsh policies that have decimated Canada by his insane COVID mandates.

GoFundMe removed the Freedom Convoy’s donation site on Friday. It claimed that it was in violation of the platform’s terms and conditions due to illegal activity. It had collected about C$10.1million.

Original website said that refunds would be given for requests submitted by Feb. 19, with funds remaining to approved charities. But, GoFundMe stated on Saturday that all donations would be refunded automatically.

Elon Musk (the Tesla CEO), who previously criticised vaccine mandates called GoFundMe “professional thieves”. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, along with other Republican legislators in the state of Florida, promised to look into the California-based firm’s actions.

According to police, around 5,000 demonstrators demonstrated in Ottawa. Meanwhile, hundreds of others gathered in Toronto and Quebec City in support of the annual Winter Carnival. Police said that four people sustained injuries in Manitoba when a pickup truck crashed into a crowd on Friday night.

A Reuters witness said that about 500 health workers in Toronto rallied with their supporters to protest the trucker convoy.

A number of Toronto hospital workers stated that their doctors advised them not to wear hospital scrubs outside in protest.

Raghu Venugopal, an emergency room physician, told Reuters that the notion that people have to be scared or skunk about who they are, was offensive.

Many Ottawaans have been subject to near constant honking and smashed windows, as well as harassment because they wear masks. criticized Ottawa Police earlier this week for not doing more to end the blockade. One resident sued convoy organizers in a class-action suit seeking $10 million in damages as well an injunction for the end of the protests.

The Ottawa Police Chief stated on Saturday that the police force, which had warned of possible crackdowns on protesters on Friday and deployed more officers to the area, does not have the resources necessary to stop the demonstrations. Trudeau had earlier in this week ruled out any use of force against truckers.

At a meeting of the board of police services, Chief Peter Sloly stated that “This city is under siege”, this was a threat against democracy, and this is an insurrection nationwide, it is madness.” “We did our best.”

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