The truckers are demanding an end to vaccine mandates and the passport phone application being required by the Canadian government. Thousands of truckers from Canada converged on the Ottawa Capitol on Jan. 29 and on Feb. 6, the mayor declared a state of emergency.
Dichter said participants of the convoy have mostly gotten the support of local police because of their upright and orderly conduct.
“And after a few days and talking with police on the ground, it seems to be that strategy worked, because they understand that this is a peaceful, family-oriented event where people can bring their kids,” said Dichter.
In Dichter’s estimation, there have been about 40 to 50,000 people in attendance over the weekends, which he said is even more amazing when you remember it is minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit) in Ottawa.
“Still, people didn’t care because they’ve been locked up in their homes for a couple of years,” Dichter said. “They just came here just to be free, doesn’t matter that it was arctic temperatures, they finally didn’t have a government breathing down [their] neck with its boot on them.”
The truckers’ protest was started by Canadian truckers but rural Canadians have also come out in great numbers to support freedom from mandates.
“Justin Trudeau basically turned Alberta into a third-world country, it’s quite scary when you go there to rural parts of Alberta. So they have had their lives destroyed. Their businesses were crushed. Suicide rates are through the roof,” said Dichter, adding that it started before the COVID mandates.
