From Canadian journalist Andrew Nikiforuk, writing on the trucking chaos north of the border for The Tyee, in which he also reveals that much of the funding for the protest hails from the U.S. side of the border:
Welcome to the mining republic of Canada where dysfunction and disinformation accumulate daily like waste in a leaky, toxic tailing pond.
Over the last two weeks Canadians have not only been served a master class on the dismal quality of our political leadership but a pointed lecture on how to destabilize a democracy.
It is clear now that a highly organized group of militants — some with military and counterinsurgency experience — have mobilized incoherent popular frustrations created by the pandemic to shield their goal of undermining a democracy and overthrowing a government they don’t like. Many of these militants hail from Alberta and the west.
The protesters talk about individual rights and freedoms but no one talks about responsibilities and that’s how democracies fail.
They are aided by the internet, foreign funds and perhaps foreign players (the whole “freedom convoy” movement has the stink of covert Russian involvement). As they occupied Ottawa, they presented a hard face composed of a phalanx of diesel trucks and a soft face made up of rock music, fireworks, kids and hot tubs.
And people defecating on doorsteps.
eats shoots 'n leaves 