Ottawa, the Canadian capital, has been under siege since the end of January because of the “Freedom Convoy,” a truckers’ motorcade protesting the vaccine mandates and the sanitary restrictions in Canada. Initially, supposedly the truckers opposed only the mandates impacting their jobs (i.e. if not fully vaccinated, they must quarantine driving back to Canada). Now their protests have extended against all of the Covid-related mandates and will continue until the government will have lifted all restrictions, no questions asked.
It must be made clear that the Federal government is indeed in control of border legislation (who, where, when and how one can cross the Canadian border by land or by air) but it does not determine other sanitary mandates overall, because all measures regarding the Canadian Public Health fall under the jurisdiction of the provincial government. Practically speaking, this means that sanitary measures in Ottawa might not be the same as those in other cities because the government of each province oversees these regulations.
Hundreds of trucks and cars are occupying downtown Ottawa and are parked in front of the Canadian Parliament, without any intention of going away. Nobody has tried to stop them, and they have been allowed to take over the city (even building wooden shacks near Confederation Park, just minutes away from Parliament). This means that hundreds of trucks loaded with fuel and gasoline are now parked close to Parliament Hill, putting at risk, should an accident happen, a good part of the city’s political and historical heart. What seemed a temporary protest that was completely underestimated is now a permanent occupation that blocks streets, traffic, deliveries, access to offices, groceries, pharmacies, obliging businesses and malls to close. The same can be said of Rideau Hall located downtown, which had already been heavily impacted by the pandemic.
The National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum, all were forced to delay their opening date that was previously set for January 31. No public transport can run near or close to downtown, and the trip for those residents who must commute is now simply unbearable. Residents have been harassed and subjected to non-stop honking to the point that on February 7, a judge ordered an injunction for the noise to stop to give the residents some deserved rest and sleep. An article from the Globe and Mail pointed out that residents will likely suffer from the emotional stress and mental toll for months to come.
So far, not much has been done to alleviate the situation; the police are overwhelmed, and the lack of a clear strategy is evident. Should all this have been prevented? Should the federal or the provincial government intervene? And if yes, how? Should the City do its part? In fact, the Mayor of Ottawa has declared a state of emergency.
The protesters are not just contesting the measures at the border, they claim all measures should be lifted: borders, masks, vaccines and everything else at the same time. Their organizers, without any medical understanding, funded by foreign sources, approved by politicians like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, sustained by far-right movements and extremist parties, as well as by a small group of Conservative Canadian MP’s, are wreaking havoc on the city and Canadian democracy in the name of freedom.
This freedom, though is an “ugly freedom,” that according to Dr. Elisabeth Anker’s definition in the book of the same name, Ugly Freedoms, corresponds to a liberty that entails in its practice “harm, brutality and subjugation” of others because it is individualistic, free “from the shared burden of public care” where health is only a personal concern.
So far, there is no solution in sight. The protest blocks the Ambassador Bridge, the principal trade route between the U.S. and Canada, and threatens supply chains. Even more disturbing is that it is spreading worldwide, with similar groups imitating the blockade. This should be a cause of significant concern because other countries can be taken hostage by a minority more interested in their individual ugly freedom than the collective public health.
While we all dream about going back to normal life–after all, Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and, thanks to its strict health measures, has been able to keep death rates lower than other countries–with freedom comes responsibility, the responsibility of a shared res publica in which we all live. We show this responsibility by getting vaccinated, following health measures and not spreading or exploiting the misinformation on social media for any personal or political gain. So, if the truckers want to voice their opinion, they can, but they should not be able to take a city, or a bridge, hostage indefinitely. A protest should not become an occupation, and freedom should never turn ugly.
