The Canadian trucker protest refers to the peaceful line of anti-vaccine and mask mandate truckers. It started as a few truck drivers striking over mask mandates, but it turned into a blockade of one of Canada’s largest highways to the U.S. border- crippling Canada’s barely recovering economy. According to many onlookers, the protest was peaceful. However, it eventually got annoying because of the traffic and loud honking. Canadian onlookers and citizens, according to Canadian news, were traumatized by the truckers. The truckers would harass kids and adults for wearing their “chin diapers.” Some people even said they were afraid of trucks with Canadian flags, because they could be protesters.

Government response

After the Ottawa provincial government didn’t want to deal with the protest, the issue was brought up with the federal government. Prime Minister Trudeau was forced to invoke emergency powers allowing him to legally disperse the protest. The action received backlash on social media, with many people giving Trudeau nicknames such as, Justin Castro, a nod to his Cuban lineage, and his “dictatorial” actions. He later sent out a warning that anyone funding the truckers could be arrested. He gave the truckers a warning to disperse, and eventually most of them did disperse. The situation  has now thankfully calmed down.

Aftermath

After the protests, the average Canadian citizen is  frustrated. When they see  a Canadian flag, or hear the anthem, they think a protests it coming. Not many arrests were made, but any trucker that stayed after the warning was issued, was arrested. Others were arrested in their homes, even though they complied. With restrictions dropping as fast as Covid numbers, it will be interesting to see if the protest is truly in the rearview mirror.