A GoFundMe page to support a massive convoy of Canadian truckers protesting COVID-19 rules neared its goal of $10 million Tuesday.
Tamara Lich, leader of Canada’s Maverick Party, and page organizers said they will spend the money to support truckers who participated in the convoy from Vancouver to Ottawa, starting with fuel and moving to food and shelter if needed.
They are protesting a rule that requires Canadian truckers to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 if they want to avoid a 14-day quarantine when they cross the border from the U.S.
“We are a peaceful country that has helped protect nations across the globe from tyrannical governments who oppressed their people, and now it seems it is happening here,” the page says. “We are taking our fight to the doorsteps of our federal government and demanding that they cease all mandates against its people.”
The GoFundMe page had raised over $9.6 million as of early Tuesday, an amount that is more than what the major political parties in Canada raised during the final quarter of 2021, according to Fox News.
Thousands of protesters have clogged the streets of Ottawa for five days since the truckers’ arrival, causing gripes among locals who are tired of the constant honking, other noise and smell of diesel fuel, according to CBC. While some truckers have gone home, major parts of the capital remain shut down by the convoy.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who revealed over the weekend he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was in quarantine, has joined top officials in Ottawa in condemning some of the protesters’ actions, including demonstrations at major national landmarks and the display by some participants of Confederate flags.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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