Again, you say that the protest is a year too late because Ontario, specifically, is about to transition to a "phased cautious" reopening plan. Yet, there are still no plans of loosening/removal of restrictions or mandates imposed on unvaccinated inividuals, not in Ontario nor in Canada as a whole. Instead, there are cries for increasingly punitive measures to be taken against unvaccinated citizens, the recent trucker mandate was just one of the lastest measures.
Unvaccinated people cannot freely travel within the country, they cannot work for the federal government or federally regulated industries (amongst others), in most (all?) provinces they cannot eat indoors or attend cultural events. In Quebec they cannot even go to Walmart, let alone the announcement of targetted taxation.
How is this protest late when there are no plans to ammeliorate any of the protesters main grievances (ie. the end to vaccine mandates and passport systems)? Or are you simply suggesting that they should have started this protest earlier, when the government started rolling out restrictions that divide society into groups by their vaccination status (like around September, just after the federal election)?
I don’t agree with punitive measures like a health tax or denial of medical service. None of that is in place, just cries from a smaller segment. Quebec has mentioned it but it doesn’t seem to have taken hold elsewhere. So for now it’s talk.
Unvaccinated people are in fact free to travel the country. HOW they do it though is limited by their choice. Unvaccinated people can work for the federal government. They need to meet the conditions of employment.
Unvaccnated people can eat in a restaurant or bar provided they meet the conditions.
None of what you have listed that is being limited is a violation of Rights. Just privileges that need conditions to be met.
With restrictions loosening and return to partial normality yes this is too late. Because as some people have mentioned, the unvaccinated are going to get left behind. Eventually things may go back to the way it was but until we are out of the pandemic that probably won’t happen.
People had a chance to voice their displeasure and remove the PM in the last election. Instead they returned him with a stop mucking around and get back to it mandate. And yeah, I’m sure someone will point out the percentage that actually voted for him. It’s still more than the percentage of people that are anti mandate, anti vax and anti Trudeau. And way more than who is showing up to protest. Just so we are clear I did not vote for the LPC.
So if 10% can demand and end to it why do you think 90% should be ignored? Here is the thing. EVERYONE wants to be done with this. Where people differ is the HOW.
I and a far larger majority disagree with you and the minority about the how. There is some common ground that could be met. I would be in favour of regular testing. I would be in favour of eventual accommodations for certain lines of federal work.
This current protest group sees no middle ground. In fact their message has gotten a little crazy with things like Trudeau stepping down and dissolving government.
Their message has been hijacked and they lost the initiative. There is a press conference today. It will be interesting to see who speaks and what is said.
