Trump supporters and conspiracy theory - Part 2

[Richard Smith]

Right wing terrorism.

"We’re looking for mom vans too!' Right-wing extremists recruiting parents for chaotic trucker convoys

White nationalists and anti-vaxxers are cooking up a protest in the U.S. similar to one that has wrought havoc in Canada.

Right-wing activists have effectively shut down Ottawa's downtown and the U.S.-Canada border with big-rig trucks to protest COVID-19 safety measures, and American conservative media outlets have celebrated the demonstration -- which some want to copy, reported Mother Jones.

“You don’t have to be a trucker,” said Denis Aguilar, founder of the anti-vaccine Freedom Angels Foundation and the far-right women’s group Mamalitia. “We’re looking for mom vans, too!”

Emboldened activists in the U.S. are planning convoys on Telegram, including one set for March 1 in Washington, D.C., and are hoping to enlist families and children for moral support.

“Have some music and get involved with your community,” Aguilar posted on TikTok. “Truckers make the world go round, and if anyone is going to put a stop to these mandates, it’s them — just watch what Canada’s doing.”

Mother Jones obtained Telegram posts from groups in Southern California planning chaotic demonstrations to pressure the government to drop public health mandates, and these activists are citing the Ottawa demonstration as an inspiration.

“It’s critical that we understand why the Canadian protest is so effective, so we can do the same in the United States,” wrote the leader of one Los Angeles group. “It was not the convoy itself, but the occupation of Ottawa and the resultant economic and psychological effects on the Canadian government that is effective.”

“We Americans need to grow out of our tendency to prioritize 'performative protest' and flashy stunts for social media clout," that person added, "and instead focus on the systems and institutions responsible for our oppression and how to best disrupt them.”

Many of the individuals involved in these plans have posted blatantly racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic content as they plot their disruptions, even as they encourage parents to enlist their children and slip convoy messages into classroom Valentine's Day treats.

“I showed my boys the video of the trucker who shared the card and cookies donated by a family and they want to do the same,” one member wrote. “Please let me know how I can get them to the truckers.”

Extremist groups have been using vaccine and masking mandates, as well as fears of critical race theory, to draw parents into their orbit, and the organizing groups have exploded in membership from hundreds to tens of thousands as the Ottawa demonstration rages.

“These people are PTA presidents, moms, everyday families,” said one source who monitors the organizing groups. “And they are working together with white nationalists.”

https://www.rawstory.com/trucker-convoy/


Ontario judge grants injunction against Ambassador Bridge protesters: Ontario officials to fine, jail blockade protesters as automakers cut production

An Ontario judge granted an injunction Friday against protesters who have been blocking the Ambassador Bridge for five days, potentially opening a path to ending the international standoff.

The ruling is set to go into effect at 7 p.m. Friday night, just hours after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that "everything is on the table" to dissolve the blockade and restart traffic across the vital North American shipping route.

For now, Trudeau said officials will rely on local law enforcement to deal with protestors, who have shut down traffic at the busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing over a vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country.

“Using military forces against civilian populations in Canada, or in any other democracy, is something to avoid having to do at all costs,” Trudeau said. He added that the government is "a long way from having to call in the military" but that there will be “real consequences” for those involved in the blockade.

“We're taking every precaution to keep people safe. But the absolute safest way for this to end is for everyone to return to your communities now."

In the meantime, provincial and municipal leaders announced new steps Friday to resume the flow of traffic across the border. Ontario officials plan to enact temporary orders that will fine protesters blocking the Ambassador Bridge up to $100,000 and sentence them to up to a year in jail, said Ontario Premier Doug Ford. They will also consider taking away the personal or commercial drivers licenses of anyone who defies the orders.

The orders will clarify that blocking the movement of "goods, people and services across critical infrastructure" is illegal, Ford said, including border crossings, airports, bridges, highways and railways.

"To those trying to force a political agenda through disruption, intimidation and chaos, my message to you is this: Your right to make a political statement does not outweigh the right of hundreds of thousands of workers to earn their living."

Ford begged the protesters to leave and declared a state of emergency. He said an Ontario Court granted his administration's request to freeze funds flowing to the protesters and the police have provided additional resources to backup law enforcement in Ottawa and Windsor.

Meanwhile, hospitals in Windsor confirmed they are on standby should police "or another emergency response agency" initiate "a Code Orange, which is called in the rare case of a disaster or mass casualty situation," the Windsor Star reported.

And an automotive supply group and the City of Windsor went to court Friday over the bridge blockade caused by groups protesting the country's COVID-19 restrictions, arguing the protests break multiple laws and an injunction is necessary to enhance enforcement.

The United States also has a vaccine requirement for freight truckers delivering goods across the border.

The Ambassador Bridge has been blocked to traffic since Monday evening, when a protest at the Capitol in Ottawa moved to other cities across the country and to the trade thoroughfare connecting Canada to Detroit.

Officials continued to reroute commercial traffic to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, where they say nine commercial lanes are open, and to the Windsor tunnel for smaller passenger traffic.

The Michigan Department of Transportation tweeted at 4 p.m. that wait times at Blue Water heading into the U.S. and heading into Canada were less than 15 minutes for passenger and commercial vehicles. Wait times heading into Canada from the U.S. were less than 15 minutes for cars and more than 90 minutes for commercial vehicles. In previous days during the Ambassador Bridge blockade, truckers waited hours at Blue Water.

Windsor Police said Friday that the bridge remained blocked throughout the day as negotiations continued with the protesters, who have remained peaceful. But the blockade has caused major economic strain for automakers and other manufacturers already struggling with supply chain woes.

The Ambassador Bridge is the conduit of 25% of all trade between the two countries and is of particular importance to the North American auto industry. Around 10,000 commercial vehicles cross the bridge every day with $325 million of goods, the Michigan Treasury Department estimated Friday. Around $50 million of that are auto parts.

It's drawn the attention of both nation's highest officeholders. Trudeau and President Joe Biden spoke about the standoff Friday. The prime minister promised quick action in enforcing the law and the president thanked him for the steps he and other Canadian authorities are taking to restore the open passage of bridges to the United States, said White House White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

"The Biden Administration has continued its work overnight and engaged in productive conversations with our Canadian counterparts over the last 24 hours to bring the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge and other ports of entry to a swift and peaceful end," a White House official told The Detroit News Friday. "We feel confident that at the municipal, provincial and federal level, Canada appreciates the urgency required to take action."

Auto impact

As the standoff entered its fifth day, automakers reported additional production impacts — the latest in a series of shocks delivered by the collateral effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Toyota Motor North America said Friday that it's now having periodic downtime at its engine plants in West Virginia and Alabama: “Due to a number of supply chain, severe weather and COVID related challenges, Toyota continues to face shortages affecting production at our North American plants," Toyota spokesperson Kelly Stefanich said in a statement.

Toyota plants in Canada and Kentucky had previously been impacted. The Japanese automaker said it expects disruptions to continue through the weekend, "and we'll continue to make adjustments as needed." It does not expect the situation to result in employment impacts at this time.

Workers at General Motors Co.'s CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, home of the Chevrolet Equinox, were sent home early Friday as a result of parts shortages. But GM's U.S. plants that had seen production cuts due to the blockade earlier this week are back up and running.

The Detroit automaker on Thursday canceled the first and second shifts at its Lansing Delta Township Plant, where the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs are made. GM confirmed Friday that production of heavy-duty trucks at Flint Assembly Plant was interrupted as a result of parts shortages. However, many employees are completing training requirements so they are still working.

Ford Motor Co. spokeswoman Kelli Felker said Friday its plants in Oakville and Windsor are running at “reduced capacity” and its Ohio Assembly Plant is down “as a result of a parts shortage associated with this situation.” The Ford Oakville plant builds the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus, Windsor builds engines and Ohio Assembly makes medium and super trucks.

“The interruption on the Detroit/Windsor bridge hurts customers, auto workers, suppliers, communities and companies on both sides of the border that are already two years into parts shortages resulting from the global semiconductor issue, COVID and more,” she said.

Stellantis NV also had to adjust production schedules Thursday because of the situation at the border. Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s plant in Alliston, Ontario, suspended manufacturing on one production line Wednesday evening. The automaker also will temporarily suspend manufacturing on one production line on the Friday day shift there.

"Stellantis continues to make production adjustments as necessary due to parts shortages caused by the closure of the Detroit/Windsor bridge," spokesperson Jodi Tinson. "Although the situation remains incredibly fluid, our teams are working around the clock to keep parts flowing into the plants to mitigate further disruptions."

John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation which represents most major automakers building vehicles in the U.S., said the group will "continue to work with policymakers and stakeholders in the U.S. and Canada to advocate for a swift and safe resolution on behalf of our employees, consumers and communities.”

Move to end blockade

The City of Windsor on Thursday sought an injunction, which would give the police more power to end the blockade that has snarled international trade between Canada and the U.S. since Monday, resulting in manufacturing production cuts on both sides of the border.

Now led by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, attorneys seeking to shut down the protest argued the protesters are breaking multiple municipal laws.

Mike Wills, the lawyer for the APMA, also said that the economic impact of the blockade is significant: The auto sector contributed around $12.5 billion to the Canadian GDP in 2020, he said, and vehicles are the second-largest Canadian export by value at $42.9 billion.

More than 90% of that was exported to the U.S., and American auto states like Michigan buy around $50 million worth of auto parts every day from Canadian companies, he said.

"No (auto plants are) sitting on thousands of parts so they can operate for weeks and weeks," Wills said. "A shutdown of a day or two is catastrophic for continued operations, and it's proving to be catastrophic."

Attorneys defending the blockage argued that some disruption is a natural and protected side effect of protests and that there's no need for an injunction if police already have the power to intervene.

"Courts in this country have held that demonstrations and picketing, by their very nature, are supposed to cause some degree of nuisance," said attorney Antoine D'Ailly. "That is part and parcel of the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of assembly here."

The judge issued the injunction Friday afternoon, saying that while people have the right to protest, their blockade of the bridge has resulted in the denial of freedom to others.

Dana Wolfe, 36, of Windsor said he showed up Friday to protest "government tyranny" in Canada. He said he works as a maintenance electrician at an automotive plant, but declined to identify his employer. Wolfe — a father and stepfather of three children — pointed to mask mandates, especially in schools, as something he's against.

"The middle class in this country believes that the political elite don't really care about us," he said. "They care more about people that can work on Zoom."

Wolfe said he wasn't concerned about the blockade's impact on auto plants: "I believe that a couple days laid off, a week laid off, two weeks laid off, isn't a really big deal when you're looking at the big scheme of things here. I think freedom and freedom of choice is a lot more important, and to stop government tyranny is a lot more important than missing a week of work."

Eyes on Windsor

The protests have drawn the attention of policymakers at the state and national level in the United States. Biden and Trudeau had a call Friday, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who said they discussed the ongoing blockade of key bridges and crossings between the United States and Canada, including Detroit-Windsor.

The prime minister promised quick action in enforcing the law, and the president thanked him for the steps he and other Canadian authorities are taking to restore the open passage of bridges to the United States, Psaki said.

Trudeau said during a press conference Friday that he and Biden “both agree that for the security of the people and the economy, these blockades cannot continue."

Trudeau said “everything is on the table” to stop the border blockades. But Trudeau, out of concern of violence, wouldn’t provide specifics on what’s under consideration. He said the focus is on using police forces before the military gets involved.

“Using military forces against civilian populations in Canada, or in any other democracy, is something to avoid having to do at all costs,” he said, but noted there will be “real consequences” for those involved in the blockade.

“We're taking every precaution to keep people safe. But the absolute safest way for this to end is for everyone to return to your communities now,” he said. “If you're still participating in illegal blockades, you're hurting your neighbors.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has called on Canadian authorities to resolve the dispute at the border crossing and offered heavy equipment, security and other resources to assist in ending the blockade. And the Biden administration has urged Trudeau’s government to use its federal powers to end the blockade.

More than a quarter of all trade between the U.S. and Canada moves over the Ambassador Bridge. Since Monday, a group of protesters known as the Freedom Convoy has prevented travel into Canada, forcing drivers to reroute to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, resulting in delays for commercial travelers.

Whitmer appeared on WXYZ-TV (Ch. 7) and CNN Friday morning, where she reiterated her call to Canadian officials to "take all appropriate steps" to reopen traffic at the border.

She said the blockade has contributed to "hundreds of millions of dollars a day" being lost and said she's been "burning up the phone line" talking with the White House, the Canadian ambassador, other Canadian officials and the congressional delegation to end the blockage.

"We have got to push to resolve this and it has to be swift," she said. "Of course, we want it to be safely done as well. But it has to happen. We cannot let another minute go by unnecessarily because this border is too important to our economy, to our homeland security, and as we grow our economy, it's a crucial moment.”

The Michigan Department of Treasury estimates that 10,000 commercial vehicles cross the bridge each day, carrying $325 million of goods, approximately $50 million from automotive parts. Nearly 30% of the annual trade between Michigan and Canada comes across the Ambassador Bridge.

Some Michigan Republicans said they support the protesters, who are challenging the vaccine requirement and other COVID restrictions. Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, a Republican who is running to unseat Whitmer as governor, criticized Whitmer and Biden Friday for "demonizing the truckers."

"I stand with the truckers," Craig said. "I support all working people who are standing up for personal freedom. "What we are seeing is a tremendous lack of leadership from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Joe Biden and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer."

U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, whose district is home to the Blue Water Bridge where traffic is being re-routed, wrote on Twitter: "Vaccine mandates are going to cripple our supply chain. The Democrats can blame freedom loving truck drivers, but the real blame is on the vaccine requirements at the border."

Her office said Friday she plans to send a letter to the Biden Administration demanding they remove the U.S. vaccine requirement for truckers.

© The Detroit News

Imagine that the socialists now are the privileged elite like Trudeau and their enemies are the common people.  The proletariat - truckers, farmers, families.  What would Karl Marx make of that?  The working class is rising up against their socialist overlords like they did to end Communism in Eastern Europe.  A magnificent display of democracy in action overcoming corruption. 

[Rick Plant]

Another member of the Trump Crime Family.

Melania Trump being investigated for skirting charity laws in Florida

In a deep dive into how Donald Trump has turned his four years as president into a money-making machine cashing in on his renewed celebrity, the New York Times notes that Melania Trump is being scrutinized for selling tickets to a meet and greet with a portion of the proceeds going to a charity that doesn't appear to exist.

While noting that former first lady has already been attempting to make money by auctioning off some apparel, the Times' Shane Goldmacher and Eric Lipton reported that Melania has a "high tea" event scheduled in April in Florida that is raising eyebrows.

According to the report, "Mrs. Trump is now selling tickets to the April 'high tea,' with organizers saying that some of the profits will benefit an initiative of her 'Be Best' endeavor called 'Fostering the Future,' meant to provide computer-science scholarships to young people who have been in foster care."

With details vague as to what portion of the ticket sales will go to the former president's wife, questions are being raised about her "Fostering the Future" charity.

"Florida requires any organization that raises charitable contributions in the state to register. No charity with the name 'Fostering the Future' or 'Be Best' is registered in Florida," the Times reported with an official in the state admitting they are taking a look at the situation.

"Asked about the solicitation, officials at the Florida agency that oversees charitable fund-raising said they also could not find evidence of the required state registration and had opened an inquiry as a result," the Times report states with Erin M. Moffet, an agency spokeswoman, pointing out "the state law requiring charities to register before soliciting money."

According to Moffet, "Consumer Services Division is currently investigating whether this event involves an entity operating in violation of Chapter 496, Florida Statutes."

The Times' report also notes that Whip Fundraising is organizing the event and that a spokesperson for Melania Trump did not respond to questions about the investigation.

You can read more here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/us/politics/donald-trump-business-interests.html

[Rick Plant]

Imagine that the socialists now are the privileged elite like Trudeau and their enemies are the common people.  The proletariat - truckers, farmers, families.  What would Karl Marx make of that?  The working class is rising up against their socialist overlords like they did to end Communism in Eastern Europe.  A magnificent display of democracy in action overcoming corruption.

Neo Nazis and right wing fascists are not the "common people". This is a right wing funded operation to shutdown the government and trade. 

[BTwo-thirds of Canadians support military force to end Ottawa protests: poll[/b]
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/02/12/two-thirds-of-canadians-support-military-force-to-end-ottawa-protests-poll/

[Rick Plant]

Trump accused of 'full-blown intelligence scandal' by former White House officials



Writing for the Atlantic, two former White House officials who served under President Barack Obama stated the Justice Department would not be doing its job if it did not open an investigation into Donald Trump for moving top-secret documents to Mar-a-Lago where he kept them for a year.

According to John Gans and Jon Wolfsthal -- who served as a former senior director at the National Security Council -- transporting the documents to the Florida resort where they sat in boxes was a major breach in the nation's security that needs to be investigated and prosecuted.

Citing the Presidential Records Act, the two wrote, "Everyone from the president down to the most junior federal bureaucrat swears an oath to protect the Constitution and is informed that keeping records is a crime. Many citizens, including those who are in or have left office, have been charged in violation of these rules, their careers destroyed or damaged, some sent to prison," before adding that Trump deserves the same treatment if he broke the law.

"The president has to follow the same rules as anyone else. This is part of why we were infuriated to learn that former President Donald Trump is reported to have removed unique materials from the White House that later had to be recovered from his Mar-a-Lago resort," they wrote. "And it is why we believe that the Department of Justice must investigate Trump for his handling of government records and, if the facts justify it, prosecute him, just as other less prominent Americans have been for similar behavior."

According to the two, no one should underestimate the damage the former president might have done, calling it a "full-blown intelligence scandal."

"This is no longer just a case of removing materials important for historians and accountability. This has morphed into a full-blown intelligence scandal that could undermine both national security now and democratic norms in the future," they explained before adding, "In that way, those 15 boxes represent another of Trump’s blows to democracy. At a time when the rule of law and basic democratic norms are under attack, responding to clear violations of the rules is even more important. If the country does not hold the former president to account for breaking a law, what’s to stop the next one?"

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/doj-trump-records/622069/


Trump’s criminal intent ‘not that hard’ to prove in White House records scandal: former prosecutor

Donald Trump appears to have violated three federal statutes by mishandling White House records, according to MSNBC analyst Glenn Kirschner.

First, there's the Presidential Records Act, under which "he he was not supposed to whisk these boxes of presidential records down to Mar-a-Lago because they belong to the National Archives," said Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor.

"There's also a criminal statute for concealment, removal or mutilation of documents," he added. "There seems to be a good bit of reporting that he mutiliated documents in all sorts of ways, some more creative than others. That is actually a three-year federal felony, and it comes with a ban — a ban from holding public office in the future."

"And then there's a third federal statute, improper removal and retention of classified materials," Kirschner said SaPersonay. "That's a five-year felony. So if any of these charges were actually brought against him, he could be in hot water."

Noting that prosecutors would have to prove that Trump intentionally violated the law, Kirschner said he doesn't think it would be difficult.

"I prosecuted lots of folks. Nobody ever said I intended to commit a crime," he said. "You prove intent by looking at conduct, looking at statements and inferring what was in somebody's mind, that they were acting intentionally and in violation of the law. And given the pattern of document destruction — I think former White House press secretary Stephenie Grisham said, 'We had no rules, and Donald Trump obsessively destroyed documents.' I think that if you look at his conduct over the course of time, if you look at he briefings that he undoubtedly received about how to treat documents, including classified materials, proving intent is not that hard. Will (Attorney General) Merrick Garland bring those charges? It's anybody's guess."

Watch below:

[Rick Plant]

The Canadian trucker convoy is an unpopular uprising
The “freedom convoy” that has besieged Ottawa isn’t a people’s revolt. It’s a fringe movement protesting its defeat.

Since January 28, Canada’s capital city of Ottawa has been under siege by a convoy of angry truckers — a two-week running protest that has drawn support from right-wing extremists in Canada and abroad.

The so-called “freedom convoy” is nominally protesting a vaccine mandate for truckers, implemented in mid-January on both sides of the US-Canada border. But the demonstrations have swiftly ballooned into a broader far-right movement, with some demonstrators waving Confederate and Nazi flags. Protester demands include an end to all Covid-19 restrictions in Canada and the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The demonstrators, which have included as many as 8,000 people at their peak, have terrorized Ottawa: blockading streets, harassing citizens, forcing business closures, and honking their extremely loud horns all night. Ottawa police, who have proven some combination of unwilling and unable to restore order, have even set up a special hotline to deal with a deluge of alleged hate crimes stemming from the protests. In the first week of February, it received over 200 calls.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has declared a state of emergency, and Trudeau’s government has deployed hundreds of Royal Canadian Mounted Police to the protests. As the situation in Ottawa continues, the freedom convoy movement has expanded across the country. Demonstrators have shut down at least two border crossings between Canada and the United States.

But while the protests are generating a lot of noise and attention, the eruption actually points up a counterintuitive fact: The Canadian far right is weak and ineffectual, especially when it comes to pandemic restrictions.

Canada’s provinces have generally employed strict Covid-19 measures such as school mask mandates and vaccine passports, including during the recent omicron surge. They have enjoyed broad public support in doing so; even the strictest restrictions are less controversial in Canada than in the US. The current demonstration is quite unpopular with the general public, divisive even inside the center-right Conservative party.

This doesn’t mean the movement will accomplish nothing. It has already contributed to a revolt against the Conservative party’s leader and is serving as an important organizing node for far-rightists. The border crossing blockage is putting more stress on the US-Canada supply chain, costing (by one estimation) $300 million a day in economic damage. Internationally, the freedom convoy has inspired copycat efforts in both the United States and France.

But it’s important to understand the broader context in Canada. News coverage of the convoy, especially from sympathetic anchors on Fox News, may lead Americans to believe that Canada is in the midst of a far-right popular uprising. In reality, the mainstream consensus in Canada about Covid-19, and the nation’s institutions in general, is holding. The so-called trucker movement is on the fringe, including among Canadian truckers — some 90 percent of whom are vaccinated.

They are angry because they have lost.

Canadians against “truckers”

I’ve been to Canada several times since the beginning of the pandemic, driving over the Peace Bridge from Buffalo into southern Ontario. The differences between the two countries become apparent almost immediately upon crossing the border. At gas stations and rest stops in upstate New York, masks are treated as optional at best; once you cross the border, virtually everyone you see indoors is masked up. When my daughter developed a fever from an ear infection, I was asked to provide a negative Covid-19 test upon entry to an urgent care facility; without one, we were told we would have been turned away.

My experiences reflect the country’s much stricter government policies. Vaccine passports, school mask mandates, and even bans on private indoor gatherings larger than 10 people have been widely used across Canadian provinces. Even Alberta, the prairie heart of Canadian conservatism, had imposed all three — with Jason Kenney, the province’s Conservative premier, arguing in September that a passport system was ”the only way to cut viral transmission without destroying businesses.”

Alberta and several other Canadian provinces are now in the process of lifting some of the more burdensome restrictions. But this generally reflects the omicron surge’s ebb rather a wave of public opposition; in Ontario, home to Ottawa and Toronto, the Conservative provincial government is following a preexisting reopening script pegged to a decline in case counts and hospitalizations. Some provincial leaders, like Quebec’s François Legault, noted that reopening plans were in no way influenced by trucker shenanigans.

There is a reason Canadian politicians have taken this stance: Poll after poll finds Canadians have widely supported restrictive pandemic policies at both the federal and provincial levels. This is not to say they enjoy restrictions on their freedoms — who does? — but simply that they believe the government has an obligation to act when case counts are high.

This is especially clear when it comes to coercive vaccination rules, ostensibly the freedom convoy’s main target.

The January edition of the Covid-19 Monitor, a regular survey of Canadian attitudes about the pandemic, finds that about three-quarters of Canadians support vaccine passports for indoor dining and gatherings. Strikingly, 70 percent would “strongly” or “somewhat” support a vaccine mandate for all eligible adults — a vastly more restrictive policy than any province has actually attempted. What’s more, the researchers behind Covid-19 Monitor find that, on most issues, “support has remained relatively stable” throughout the pandemic — strong evidence that this isn’t just a short-term blip caused by omicron.

It makes sense, then, that the trucker protest is widely unpopular.

The polling firm Innovative Research Group has conducted three separate rounds of polling since the beginning of the convoy, and found that public opposition has risen as the protest has gone on. In their most recent survey, conducted February 4-9, a scant 29 percent of Canadians expressed support for “the idea of the protest” while 53 percent disapproved.

A separate survey by Léger, released on February 8, found that 62 percent of Canadians oppose “the message that the trucker convoy protests are conveying of no vaccine mandates and less public health measures.” Sixty-five percent of respondents agreed that the demonstrators represented a “small minority of Canadians who are thinking only about themselves.”

Why the trucker protest matters, even though they’re losing

It’s worth emphasizing that a movement does not have to be popular with a majority to have influence.

During the trucker protests, an uprising against Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole succeeded in toppling him from the top spot. The challenge was fueled, in part, by Conservative members of Parliament frustrated by O’Toole’s equivocal stance on the convoy, with many in the ranks calling on the party to embrace the truckers.

The leadership challenge points to the bigger effect of the protest: It is a rare action by the Canadian far right that’s gaining mainstream attention and backing. “Even if the trucker protests do recede, their show of strength has won them demonstrable support abroad, including financial support, and has established large communities online that could fuel future activity,” the New York Times’s Max Fisher writes.

The protests have had notable international reach, becoming a cause célèbre for anti-restriction conservatives in the US and Europe. Sixty-three percent of the donations to the truckers’ now-removed GoFundMe came from the United States; the American right reportedly played an important role in getting the protest off the ground. It’s also now inspiring actions elsewhere: An American convoy is scheduled to depart from California on March 4, with Washington as its ultimate destination. A similar French effort is already on its way to Paris, with police vowing to bar its entry to the capital.

Yet the fact that so much of the so-called trucker movement’s support seems to be coming from abroad is telling.

The reality is that a combination of factors, ranging from the structure of the Canadian political system to widespread acceptance of liberal cultural values, have made its government especially resistant to far-right radicalism. On issues ranging from Covid-19 to immigration to abortion, the mainstream consensus has held.

The freedom convoy’s willingness to disrupt life in Canada’s capital is less a sign of an incipient popular uprising than the lashing out of a minority that has little influence at the ballot box.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22926134/canada-trucker-freedom-convoy-protest-ottawa

Nazi flag at 'Freedom Convoy' spurs bill to ban hate symbols
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/02/07/nazi-flag-at-freedom-convoy-sparks-bill-to-ban-hateful-symbols-but-enforcement-is-seen-as-tricky.html

Swastikas and public urination: anti-vaccine protest draws outrage in Canada
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/swastikas-and-public-urination-anti-vaccine-protest-draws-outrage-in-canada

Convoy protest received hundreds of donations that appeared to be from abroad
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/convoy-protest-vaccine-ottawa-1.6345889

[Rick Plant]

Trump suggests Clinton campaign staffers should be put to death — and demands 'reparations'
https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-2656646993/

[Richard Smith]

Neo Nazis and right wing fascists are not the "common people". This is a right wing funded operation to shutdown the government and trade. 

[BTwo-thirds of Canadians support military force to end Ottawa protests: poll[/b]
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/02/12/two-thirds-of-canadians-support-military-force-to-end-ottawa-protests-poll/

A baseless falsehood unless you believe that Canadian truckers are "neo-Nazis".  Talk about grafting a false narrative onto a situation for political purposes.  Keep peddling that falsehood, though, since it is political suicide in the upcoming election.  Vilifying the people is not a good strategy to win elections.   And you of all propagandists are complaining about "shutdowns" and someone interfering with trade after the socialists did that for two years to the entire world?   HA HA HA.  Next you will be telling us that supporting the police is important and masks are unnecessary.  Astounding hypocrisy. 

[Rick Plant]

Good!

Police Arrest “Freedom Convoy” Protesters Who Remained at U.S.-Canada Bridge
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/02/police-arrest-convoy-protesters-ambassador-bridge.html