Canadian police arrested 100 people and towed at least 21 vehicles as police started breaking up this protest camp that has paralysed Canada’s capital for several weeks.

Police in Ottawa began arresting protesters and towing vehicles in an effort to break up the “Freedom Convoy: that has paralysed Canada’s capital for weeks. This prompted  Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to declare a national emergency.

Since late January, truck drivers have protested in Canadian cities, occupying parts of Ottawa and blocking one of the country’s most important trade routes to the U.S. in protest of vaccine mandates and covid restrictions.

This group dubbed themselves the “Freedom Convoy” and are flying Nazi and confederate flags. They have also inspired copycat protests across the world.

On the 28th of January, a group of truckers traveled to Ottawa, Canada’s capital, to Protest Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vaccine mandates for truckers traveling from the United States.

English teacher at Wayne Hills High School Mr. Bosma said, “it seems that a relatively small amount of people are causing a log jam and I understand that they’re looking to sort of be heard, but I don’t necessarily know if what they’re doing can be justified, given the impact that it’s having. There’s a lot of disruption, there’s a lot of money that’s being lost, and I know there’s people concerned about their own personal finances, and how they’re being affected by the mask mandate and vaccine mandates. I also don’t know how much misinformation, or disinformation, or propaganda has spread. “

This only affected 5% of all truckers in Canada because 95% were vaccinated. People argue the problems this jam has caused is greater than the problem it is fighting. 

Some  organizers of the “Freedom Convoy” are Tamar Lich, Maxime Bernier, and James Bauder. Lich previously worked as the secretary of the Maverick party, a far right group of individuals that launched to promote the separation of the country’s three western Prairie Provinces. Maxime Bernier leads the far-right People’s Party of Canada. Lastly, James and Sandra Bauder lead a self proclaimed group called the Canada Unity. James Bauder is also an alleged reporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory and has called for Trudeau to be put on trial for treason because of his policies during the pandemic. 

People have the right to protest, this is a human right, it is the first amendment in the United States constitution, it is written in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and it is perfectly legal. But there is a point where protesting becomes rioting and rioting is against the law. These people are causing massive amounts of disruption and many people believe there are better ways to resolve the issue that doesn’t create an economic problem.

Physics teacher, Mr. Sherer said, “I haven’t kept up with the news the last couple days, but I think there are more efficient ways of getting your point across because there’s just too much blockage of traffic.”

People have the right to stand up for themselves and what they believe in, but the cost isn’t always worth the price.