“Not everyone supports the Freedom Convoy!” Opponents of the convoys march at Toronto City Hall

BY PAUL JUNOR

There has been mixed reaction to the Freedom Convoy, which took over the city of Ottawa for three weeks from January 29^th, 2022, to February 19^th, 2022. The press release sent by the organizers on February 18^th, 2022 is seen at www:communitysolidarityto.ca. It states, “Opponents of the convoys will rally and march at Toronto City Hall on Sunday, February 20^th, at 1:00 pm, at a gathering organized by Community Solidarity, a coalition of progressive Toronto labour, anti-racist and social organizations.”

The press release notes, “Canadians have been watching in consternation as Ottawa neighbourhoods have been subjected to three weeks of huge trucks in their streets spewing toxic diesel fumes and the blaring of deafening air horns. The truckers convoy brought with it bullying, intimidation, harassment anti-semitism, misogyny, and homophobia.” 

The organizers released a statement of community solidarity, which present some of their positions such as:

• We reject the politics of division and hate
• We honour healthcare workers who have stood so courageously and tirelessly to support other Canadians
• We believe deeply in equity human rights and social solidarity with all communities and all those who work on the front lines
• We affirm the need for fair, consistent public health measures and a strong foundation of public services for every community
• We believe that every person has the right to decent conditions of work and respect from those who have the most wealth and power in our society

The areas that they are opposed:

• We will challenge those who have created an atmosphere of division and disrespect, particularly those who have subjected healthcare workers to abuse over many months
• We will challenge all those in political office who have enabled or supported these disruptive tactics designed to intimidate others
• We will challenge those here, and south of our border, whose wealth is being used to create a dangerous political movement that will likely focus its hate on immigrants, Indigenous peoples, workers, and equity deserving communities for years to come

Chloe Tse of Climate Voice notes in the press release, “Young people have spent the past two years trying to study and start their lives in a world wide pandemic. We are fed up too, but we will refuse to sign onto the kind of bullying protest we are seeing in Ottawa. We want our voices heard for climate justice, for an end to pandemic profiteering by Big Pharma, and for a future that cares for those most marginalized.”

CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn writes in the press release, “Enough is enough. No more hate. No more chaos. No more sleepless nights for, and harassment of, our neighbours, or health care workers, or the front-line heroes who’ve been getting us through this. It’s time to forcefully oppose these currents of White supremacy; offer a vision of the solutions we need, like real affordability, permanent paid sick days, and investment into childcare and healthcare and organize to make this vision a reality.”

There were several hundred people at the rally. There were several speakers from prominent local labour and human rights groups. Nigel Bariffe, President of the Urban Alliance of Race Relations (UARR) states, “Here we are today for the third year in a row fighting this pandemic, But not only pandemic. We are here fighting hate, racism, Islamophobia, anti-semitism, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism fomented and exposed in the Freedom Convoy.”

Andria Babbington, President of the Toronto and York Region Labour Council states, “Today demonstration is an important step in coming together to challenge the far-right fringe which is using COVID crisis to spread hate. We must also find a way to talk with those who are feeling disenfranchised and who could be drawn to the wrong solutions.”