OTTAWA—Military veteran James Topp was joined by over 1,000 supporters on June 30 as he arrived in Ottawa on the way to his final stop, the War Memorial—more than four months after he began his walk across Canada from the Terry Fox statue in downtown Vancouver on Feb. 20.
Topp was put on “leave without pay” for choosing to not receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a civilian in an RCMP detachment, and also encountered problems with the Canadian Armed Forces, where he served 28 years, for the same reason. The military has charged him for speaking publicly against federal vaccine requirements while in uniform.
The veteran embarked on his trek across the country to protest against COVID-19 mandates.
On June 22, Topp met with around 20 Conservative MPs as he was getting closer to Ottawa. “The journey has been arduous, physically challenging, but at the same time, it has allowed me to connect with my fellow Canadians in a way that I never would have thought possible,” he told them.
As he arrived in Ottawa on June 30 after a 4,300-kilometre trip, over a 1,000 supporters joined him on the last leg of his trek, with many approaching him to take photos, shake his hand, or give him a hug.
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