Four Canadian provinces have moved to lift their COVID-19 restrictions as a massive protest by truckers continued blockades Wednesday in Ottawa, paralyzing the capital city. Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island provinces have all announced plans to eliminate or roll back some or all measures.
For instance, Alberta “dropped its vaccine passport for places such as restaurants immediately and getting rid of masks at the end of the month,” the Associated Press reported. The moves came this week after a huge throng of truckers shut down Ottawa, protesting a Jan. 15 rule requiring truckers entering Canada to be fully immunized against COVID-19.
On Wednesday, more than 400 trucks gridlocked the downtown area. And a blockade by fed-up Canadians entered Day 3 at the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, the busiest trade bridge in North America. Some of the protesters say they are willing to die for their cause, the AP said, citing Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
“I’ll be brutally honest: You are trying to have a rational conversation and not everyone on the ground is a rational actor,” the mayor said. “Police are doing what is right by taking a moderate approach, trying to sensibly work through this situation where everyone can walk away, nobody gets hurt, and the bridge can open.”
Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau derided the thousands of citizens protesting lockdowns and mask mandates as “a few people shouting and waving swastikas.” As the huge protest dubbed the “Freedom Convoy” raged, Trudeau took aim at the opponents of nationwide regulations enacted over COVID-19 policies. During an emergency debate in Parliament on Monday, he blasted the trucker-led protests, accusing them of trying to derail Canada’s democracy. READ MORE
