Organizers representing Freedom Convoy 2022 say they plan to remain in Ottawa "for as long as it takes" for governments across Canada to end all mandates associated with COVID 19.
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The convoy is made up of truck owners and operators, as well as citizens from all walks of life, from across the country.
Organizers estimate the number of participants in the Ottawa protest to be in the tens of thousands. "The number of participants who have travelled from every region of Canada to be in Ottawa was a surprise even to us," said Tamara Lich, spokesperson for Freedom Convoy. "It was a bit overwhelming at first from a logistical point of view, but we are now well organized and are settling in, until Canada is a free nation again."
Convoy leaders, who are meeting daily, also expressed regret that citizens of Canada's capital are bearing this inconvenience.
"Our message to the citizens of Ottawa is one of empathy. We understand your frustration and genuinely wish there was another way for us to get our message across, but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians who have prefer to vilify and call us names rather than engage in respectful, serious dialogue," said Chris Barber, Sr. Convoy Leader.
"The fastest way to get us out of the nation's Capital, is to call your elected representatives and end all C-19 mandates, as the UK did two weeks ago and as both Sweden and Switzerland did today."
Barber further noted that "our interaction with the Ottawa police has been mostly positive, especially in dealing with front line officers."
Organizers have been particularly dismayed by the extreme and divisive rhetoric used by politicians – especially Justin Trudeau – who have characterized protesters as racists, and even terrorists.
"We are determined to be respectful the law, be peaceful in conduct, and to retain our dignity, despite the school-yard mudslinging and bullying of some politicians and members of the press. Nobody should underestimate our resolve or our resilience.
We are here and we are not going anywhere until we achieve our objective, to see an end of all C-19 mandates and with that a restoration of freedoms of all Canadians." ■