Truckers' anti-vaccine mandate protest rolled out from BC to Ottawa (PHOTOS)

Freedom Convoy 2022/Facebook

Trucks are bound for Ottawa as part of the “Freedom Convoy” demonstration protesting vaccine mandates in place for truckers.

A cross-border mandate came into effect on January 15 requiring unvaccinated Canadian truck drivers entering Canada to meet requirements for pre-entry, arrival, and Day 8 testing, as well as quarantine requirements.

Foreign national truck drivers entering Canada from the US by land will now be directed back to the US.

#Truckers #TruckerConvoy2022 #TruckerforFreedom #bearhugottawa Abbotsford pic.twitter.com/wWjyGTD3EV

— Fundamental Freedoms (@Stillfree2021) January 23, 2022

Canadian truck convoy making its way through Vancouver, BC, Canada yesterday on the way to Ottawa to protest against mandates. pic.twitter.com/uJqtoSPFPj

— Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) January 23, 2022

@megoxo #freedomconvoy2022 #stopmandates #Ottawaorbust #trucksoftiktok #rally #canadastrong #standwithtruckers #convoy #bearhug #freedom2022 #slowroll #vancouver ♬ original sound – Meggz

The Canadian Trucking Alliance denounced drivers engaged in protests, saying that actions that interfere with public safety are not how disagreement with government policies should be expressed.

“The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) does not support and strongly disapproves of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges,” they said in a statement.

“Members of the trucking industry who want to publicly express displeasure over government policies can choose to hold an organized, lawful event on Parliament Hill or contact their local MP. What is not acceptable is disrupting the motoring public on highways and commerce at the border.”

“The Government of Canada and the United States have now made being vaccinated a requirement to cross the border.”

“This regulation is not changing so, as an industry, we must adapt and comply with this mandate,” said CTA president Stephen Laskowski.

“The only way to cross the border, in a commercial truck or any other vehicle, is to get vaccinated.”

The CTA notes that the vast majority of Canada’s trucking industry is vaccinated and that the vaccination rate among truck drivers closely mirrors “that of the general public.”

As the trucks were rolling out, protesters took over parts of Downtown Vancouver in the afternoon on Saturday, January 22 as part of the “World Wide Rally For Freedom,” coinciding with similar demonstrations globally and across Canada.

On Twitter, #FreedomConvoy 2022 and #TruckersForFreedom were trending, each with thousands of tweets.

A Go-Fund-Me has raised $2,442,960 out of a $3 million goal to help cover the costs of the truckers’ journey to Ottawa.

Editor’s Note: an earlier version of this story contained photos from a separate rally. They have since been removed.

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