Freedom Convoy protests [Split from All things 2019-nCoV]

[Humphrey Bogart]

Here is some testimony on the protests from one of our own, former CANSOF Operator, Ryan Murphy.

He is there to use the occasion to advocate for Veterans Issues:

I'm here in Ottawa to see this protest with my own eyes. So far what I… | Ryan Murphy, CD,

I'm here in Ottawa to see this protest with my own eyes. So far what I have seen is many people from all walks of life coming together for different reasons. All are peaceful and just want Trudeau to come out from hiding and address his people as an equal. The police can't believe he hasn't...

www.linkedin.com

"Super peaceful and everyone just wants the Prime Minister to address them as his equal"

Hmmmm but I thought everyone there was a "Racist Nazi"

 

[Remius]

Why shouldn't he meet with the protesters? There are legitimate grievances here, even though I disagree with them, the fact that many folk were willing to do all of this NEED to be listened too.

I mean awesome would be he punched some clown in the mouth as he runs by with a Nazi flag while doing the interview,......but wet dreams for another time.

It’s a calculated risk. One CPC MP met with Pat King out west. Damage control after that. He claims he didn’t know who he was. I actually believe him because until this whole thing started I had no idea who he was. But he’s still on video shaking hands and giving his support.

Another was standing in front of an upside down flag with a swastika painted in it saying how great everyone is.

Optics.

His message about cooling things down is good. I’m just not sure the optics will be in his favour. I legit hope I am wrong though.

 

[Altair]

Bernier's ultimate goal is to keep the Cons out of power. He's a spoiled brat who didn't like the way the Conservative playground treated him when he ran for the leadership, so he took his ball and went home. He knows he can't win a general election, but he can deny O'Toole a win.

Same as the ultimate goal of the NDP is to keep the LPC out if power, but you don't hear them complaining about it.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Latest convoy fundraiser update as of this post

 

[Blackadder1916]

Latest convoy fundraiser update as of this post
View attachment 68397

$9.2 million. If only it was possible for the City of Ottawa to sue for reimbursement of the estimated $800K per day of additional policing costs.

 

[Remius]

$9.2 million. If only it was possible for the City of Ottawa to sue for reimbursement of the estimated $800K per day of additional policing costs.

I might be wrong but I think OPS gets federal funds for some of this sort of thing. Cost of democracy and free speech.

 

[Brad Sallows]

This movement became a Rorschach protest even before it reach Ottawa.

I have seen enough comments on handwritten signs (including locally) to conclude that people who have attached themselves to the protests are not all neo-Nazis. Many different grievances are involved.

The difficulty with expressing support for a protest is the situational rules which depend in part on political alignments. A critic of violent anarchists attached to a BLM protest will likely be accused of racism. A Nazi flag at a protest becomes a pretext to accuse everyone involved of Nazi extremism. It matters whether the use of a symbol is "Hooray for whatever-this-symbol-represents", or "boo-for-you-people-acting-like-whatever-this-symbol-represents".

It shouldn't need pointing out, but:
1. Expressing support for the right to protest is not discreditable.
2. Expressing support for some of the grievances is not necessarily discreditable (depends on the grievance).
3. If you have trouble separating (1) and (2) from things which are actually discreditable, you are not very bright.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Same as the ultimate goal of the NDP is to keep the LPC out if power, but you don't hear them complaining about it.

Hogwash. Mulcair jettisoned all the hard work done by Layton the instant he toed the "anybody but Conservative" line. What that really amounts to in most cases is, "Vote LPC". All the LPC has to do is scare the NDP into believing the CPC might win even a minority, and the NDP will cave.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Latest convoy fundraiser update as of this post
View attachment 68397

Imagine all the Twitter detectives picking the the donation names and amounts looking for secret messages.

 

[Altair]

Hogwash. Mulcair jettisoned all the hard work done by Layton the instant he toed the "anybody but Conservative" line. What that really amounts to in most cases is, "Vote LPC". All the LPC has to do is scare the NDP into believing the CPC might win even a minority, and the NDP will cave.

Yet all those left leaning votes that would probably go LPC are in the NDP camp, even after the fear mongering.

That is 15-20 percent of the electorate. Conservatives are complaining about 5 percent.

 

[Remius]

The NDP want a liberal minority. It’s the only way they can get what they want, that’s the sweet spot for the NDP. So keeping them in power is in their best interest.

 

[Altair]

The NDP want a liberal minority. It’s the only way they can get what they want, that’s the sweet spot for the NDP. So keeping them in power is in their best interest.

Yes, the ultimate goal of the NDP is to keep the LPC out of power. If we look at power being a majority government.

Again, the LPC has to deal with 15-20 percent of the electorate which would likely otherwise vote for them vote for another party. (more if you include the greens, but they are less a unitary party than the NDP) The CPC has to deal with 5 percent.

Something people should think about every time they complain about Bernier.

 

[RangerRay]

You’d think with the $1 million released by Go-Fund-Me, they wouldn’t have to raid a soup kitchen to get fed…

 

[Altair]

You’d think with the $1 million released by Go-Fund-Me, they wouldn’t have to raid a soup kitchen to get fed…

Yeah, and with so many pickup trucks and supporters, you would think they would have a convoy of food being bought and brought in.

 

[Furniture]

You’d think with the $1 million released by Go-Fund-Me, they wouldn’t have to raid a soup kitchen to get fed…

Did they raid it, or barracks room lawyer it? Words have meanings, raid implies they took food by force, rather than by badgering the staff with claims of being "homeless" in Ottawa.

Both are classless moves, but one is significantly worse than the other.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

$9.2 million. If only it was possible for the City of Ottawa to sue for reimbursement of the estimated $800K per day of additional policing costs.

Sue for what? Those people have a right to be there. Was anyone suing for costs to Canadians when the FN protesters shut down the whole Canadian rail system? Who pays for everything when protesters block pipelines, spike trees and damage thousands of dollars in equipment? So far as I'm aware, not one single person has been arrested so far in this protest. Does Ottawa get reimbursed for security and support on Canada Day. Do they get reimbersed everytime there is a protest on the Hill? Serious question.

 

[Remius]

Yes, the ultimate goal of the NDP is to keep the LPC out of power. If we look at power being a majority government.

Again, the LPC has to deal with 15-20 percent of the electorate which would likely otherwise vote for them vote for another party. (more if you include the greens, but they are less a unitary party than the NDP) The CPC has to deal with 5 percent.

Something people should think about every time they complain about Bernier.

I take being in power being the guys with the ability to govern. Minority or majority.

The issue is that while LPC may have a margin to play with that is larger than the CPCs that margin loss is normally what keeps them in minority territory. As someone pointed out, NDP voters will swing to the LPC if they fear a COC win is imminent. They will never vote CPC. So it’s 15 to 20 percent the CPC a will never get but the LPC can still get. So that 5% becomes way more important because they also have to contend with red Tories that could also go LPC or just stay home.

And if that 5% is spread out and creates issues for vote efficiency then it becomes exponential rather than the 15 or 20 that might be more concentrated in areas like the GTA.

The ultimate goal for the NDP is to keep the CPC out of power and that includes supporting the LPC to do it.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Latest convoy fundraiser update as of this post
View attachment 68397

1,000 trucks will burn roughly $4,000,000 in fuel alone from Vancouver>Ottawa and return. So the money is not as much as you think and I bet it's mostly small donations, meaning a lot of people have donated.

 

[Remius]

Serious answer is found on the OPS website. Not sure what the total amount is but somewhere near 2 million a year to offset costs not accounted for anything that already has a cost recovery program already in place.

I suspect OPS will be asking for some more offset.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

You’d think with the $1 million released by Go-Fund-Me, they wouldn’t have to raid a soup kitchen to get fed…

Do you know for a fact it was convoy participants? Or was it another group maybe? I find it extremely unlikely that anyone would go on such a huge trip without considering the logistics of food, shelter and warmth. Especially people that make a living travelling around North America. I can't see people that are policing up their garbage, bagging it and taking it to collection points as the type that would trash a soup kitchen. However, after reading and participating in discussions here, about the convoy, nothing comes as a surprise anymore.