‘We won’t give in’ Trudeau says as trucker convoy protest continues

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he “won’t give in” to the so-called “freedom convoy” protest in downtown Ottawa. He made the comments Monday as the trucker convoy still lined the streets around Parliament Hill, with protestors demanding an end to public health mandates, vaccine mandates, and even calling on Trudeau himself to resign. “I want to be very clear: we are not intimidated by those who hurl abuse at small business workers and steal food from the homeless,” he said. “We won’t give in to those who fly racist flags.

We won’t cave to those who engage in vandalism, or dishonour the memory of our veterans.” Read more: No injuries after incident involving truck and Ottawa police barricade Over the weekend, a local Ottawa shelter, the Shepherds of Good Hope, confirmed some convoy protesters harassed and pressured their workers, demanding meals for “several hours over the dinner period.” There were also a number of hateful symbols spotted on Parliament Hill, including a swastika and confederate flags. “To anyone who joined the convoy but is rightly uncomfortable with the symbols of hatred and division on display: join with your fellow Canadians, be courageous, and speak out,” Trudeau said. “Do not stand for, or with, intolerance and hate.” The prime minister added that there is “always a right to protest peacefully,” and said that’s a right he will “defend fully.” “There is not a right to incite violence, to perform acts of violence or to spew hatred,” he said.

The government announced in November 2021 that all Canadian truckers seeking to cross the border from the United States would need to be vaccinated in order to avoid a 14-day quarantine.