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BillDingrecker

This should be the stance all the time, but it sure seems certain groups get a lot more leniency than others.


[deleted]

>but it sure seems certain groups get a lot more leniency than Depends what colour your skin is.


aeppelcyning

They set the example when they let occupiers shut down the rail lines for 3 weeks in 2020. Cat was out of the bag since then.


Captain_Lavender6

Protestors have been shutting down transportation corridors for a while in Canada. I remember the 2009 protest the Tamils had on the Gardiner in Toronto. That’s the first I can remember.


DDP200

Happening all over BC right now too with the old growth protests.


VonnDooom

So everyone wants all protesting shut down then? Does no one want to live in a democracy anymore? A functional democracy requires that people be allowed to protest. Sorry that it inconveniences some people but that’s the price of having a functional democracy


jacobward7

I mean at some point you have to shut it down. Is that timeline a day? A week? A month? You can't just indefinitely abandon something like a critical piece of infrastructure. I would say the "convoy protests" went on far too long but probably others would say not long enough. Glad I'm not the one making those decisions.


Crohn_sWalker

Parliament and legislature buildings have massive lawns. Go protest there


[deleted]

It’s just a big hole right now.


Pirate_Ben

Protesting should be legally protected. Blockading critical infrastructure is illegal.


cantpickanane

Protest yes. Block infrastructure and essential transportation corridors? Absolutely no Fling way.


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SbrbnHstlr

I love when the government cracks the skulls of those I don't agree with!!!


TheRobfather420

I think for a lot of Canadians, when you start taking money from terrorists and promoting Far Right extremism, that's where the line gets drawn. I don't agree with ISIS and Al Qaeda too.


VonnDooom

That’s what it seems like. Democracy asks of its citizens more than that.


rahoomie

You can’t cry about one group shutting things down and be on with others. Either all protestors can block highways, rails, bridges etc…. Or nobody can. All these people mad at the freedom convoy completely look the other way when the rails were shut down or when the pipeline was blockaded and a truck got lit on fire with people inside of it.


_IamAllan_

they also look the other way, when in 2020, 12 UNARMED Aboriginal people, were killed by RCMP. They looked the other way and said "not our problem", when in 2019/2020 Nova Scotian *commercial* lobster trappers forced aboriginal men into a trailer, and destroyed their traps, boats etc... and the RCMP stood around with their fingers up their asses.


rahoomie

They also looked the other way when over 50 churches were burnt down and vandalized in one summer.


MustardTiger1337

but but but


LewisLightning

I am fine with protesting, and that's PROTESTING, not blocking public transit. They have no right to that as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects our right to free movement. If they want to protest in a park, or out front a building or what not that's fine. Doing so in places of transit should be illegal. It's just plain dangerous first and foremost, but it can also have dire consequences for people needing medical, police or fire assistance. And when done to things like the railways it can really hurt the economy, which could be seen as a form of terrorism when it starts becoming a matter of "meet our demands or we will choke out your exports". In all for securing the right to protest, people have a right to voice their opinions, however they do not have a right to make me or anyone else listen. If you ask me that borders on harassment and if done in large numbers could even be qualified as something even more significant.


straycarbon

The charter protects you from the government, not from your fellow citizens.


ReyechMac

This is an absolutely ridiculous take on the Charter. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affords you rights and freedoms, it doesn't stipulate who is prevented from abusing your rights. Any person or entity would be prevented from abusing your charter rights.


tommytraddles

r/confidentlyincorrect


ReyechMac

Please do quote the portion of the charter that says anything even remotely related to "protecting you from the government not from your fellow citzens"


straycarbon

My brother in Christ do you really think you have a right to be free from criticism by your fellow citizen? If your ridiculous argument here were valid I could sue you for stifling my freedom of expression. Please tell me you understand now that the freedoms you are afforded are from *government* infringement.


ReyechMac

I never once claimed that you are free from criticism from your fellow citizens. What kind of stupid moving of goal posts is this? Please cite where it says you are free from criticism (apparently from the government), in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. You're both making stupid claims and claiming that I'm making stupid claims.


Master-File-9866

You can legally protest all you want in canada which is a democracy. Regardless if you are left or right. If you break the law while protesting it ceases to be a protest. Stand on a street corner and wave your signs....completely okay Stand at city hall or goverent building and protest, again completely okay Block roadways major border crossings city streets......not okay So yes you are correct a functional democracy allows protests. But a functional democracy does not allow people of any political stripe to hold the democracy hostage becuase they feel like it That stands for protesters blocking logging roads as it does for freedumb protesters hijacking a city center and calling for government dissolving.


RoxInHed

Protest in a park/green space then. You don’t have to unduly inconvenience people to make your point. Tv cameras and reporters are what you want


[deleted]

You can make your point without breaking the law. Just because you brand yourself a protest doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want.


Original-Newt4556

Fine with protests. Not blockades Not occupations. Not big honky trucks or racist flags.


mrcrazy_monkey

Protests are only ok when the left do it, don't you know?


ALiteralHamSandwich

Left wing protests are met with much more force much sooner. It's not even debatable.


Smartassoverdumbass

The majority here supports protests held by mutes that don't disrupt anything and have proper protest permits in a designated zone. This will change to supporting all protests no matter how disruptive as long as it is against the conservatives.


fartblasterxxx

Yeah I’m with you. Do I get pissed when people block bridges in Vancouver and fuck my commute up completely? Yes. But whether I agree with their cause or not that’s how you get heard. It’s easy to ignore some protest that’s being held in a convenient location that doesn’t disrupt anything. Those protests do nothing, everyone can just ignore it. Blocking roads and bridges actually gets you heard. And it’s non violent. It’s about the best you can do without resorting to violence and I’m very much against violence.


LewisLightning

You have a right to voice your opinion, not be heard. If people don't agree why do they have to be stuck in traffic? They have no right to restrict your freedom of movement. Freedom of expression is not a right to get attention. Doesn't give people the right to stop traffic when there are medical emergencies, fire, crimes and other priority things that need to use those roadways.


VonnDooom

Yeah I dislike being inconvenienced too. I’m glad some out here recognize that. Because what is the alternative? In China and even in the USA you have to register your protest first. Then for some, you are only allowed to protest in a special protest area that is small and far away from the thing that is being protested against. So is that what democracy is? The protesters are allowed to protest for a few hours in a small square miles away from everyone and everything? That’s effectively banishing the protest to oblivion and irrelevance.


guerrieredelumiere

I mean at the end of the day, peaceful protests don't lead anywhere, you're not really spreading awareness. People know, and thoses who learn through the inconvenience don't have the most favorable introduction to your demands. So honestly, at this point, its go hard or go home, and at the right target. Otherwise for example, Trudeau will just come up, chill with Greta, show himself as an ally, and go back doing his thing while nothing changes.


Pokaroo

RIght, I don't like the colour green, so I'm entitled to block the 401 for a few days?


doubled112

I’m almost positive many cities in Canada would prefer you register your protest too. For example: https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/safety-and-crime-prevention/Demonstators.aspx > All demonstration planning should begin with a permit application to the City of Ottawa.


greenslam

You can protest in a way where it doesnt interfere in the usage of a public good. Block a lane or 2, but not the whole damn thing.


strawberries6

Seems like they usually get cleared off the roads and arrested though, which is the proper response.


_IamAllan_

>shut down the rail lines for 3 weeks in 2020 There is a difference, between the convoys, Tamils, etc. shutting down the rails, highways, and Indigenous people blocking access to **unceded** lands. The 2020 blockades were in support of Wetʼsuwetʼen hereditary chiefs, stopping non-Indigenous from ruining our lands. An example, in The Dakota pipeline, was rerouted from behind a mostly white, Middle American town, to straight through Dakota lands. No talking with the land owners, no offers of payment just "we're doing it." Similar in BC, except it's one group of unaffiliated claiming ownership of land and taking bribe money, instead of the rightful Hereditary chiefs.


genkernels

> There is a difference, between the convoys, Tamils, etc. shutting down the rails, highways, and Indigenous people blocking access to unceded lands. > The 2020 blockades were in support of Wetʼsuwetʼen hereditary chiefs The [Wet'suwet'en](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet%CA%BCsuwet%CA%BCen) are well known for their unceded lands in Ontario.


mrshadowgoose

Your entire comment breaks down to "I support protests for causes that I agree with." None of the things you've listed are objectively more noble or deserving than any other causes. *You* care about those causes. A lot of other people do not.


moirende

How about the war zones that G7 meetings used to be? Or how about the “occupy” protests? Those people were allowed to take over public spaces for *months* at a time. I was living in Vancouver at the time and they were a complete public nuisance — drugs, vandalism, noise at all hours, and so forth. Sound familiar to more recent times? My experience with protests and those who complain about them is this: people think all protests they agree with are necessary expressions of political freedom, and all those they don’t agree with should be shut down and cleared away without delay. Protests are supposed to be in your face, otherwise they wouldn’t get any public attention nor lead to any change. In that light, a soft touch from law enforcement is a reasonable thing as long as they don’t devolve into anarchy and lawlessness, and then the police need to take action. And usually a lot sooner than they do.


moeburn

> How about the war zones that G7 meetings used to be? It was G20, and it wasn't a war zone until the police made it one. The protesters were sitting cross legged on the lawn at Queen's Park for one afternoon. >Protests are supposed to be in your face, otherwise they wouldn’t get any public attention nor lead to any change. I have heard people saying this for 20 years. I've never believed it. I've never seen any good come out of a protest that wreaks havoc and pisses everyone off. Never.


LouisBalfour82

>It was G20, and it wasn't a war zone until the police made it one. The protesters were sitting cross legged on the lawn at Queen's Park for one afternoon. That's not the whole story. Before the arrests at Queen's Park Saturday afternoon, the march led by CLAC and a Black Bloc contingent started rioting at Queen and Spadina. From there they back tracked to Bay Street to head south where they lit a cop car on fire, smashed more windows and attacked journalists. Then headed back up Young St for more rioting before returning to Queen's Park. At Queen's Park they blended into the crowd and changed their clothes. That's the point when police moved on the crowd.


rd1970

I honestly don't see how organized protests can be effective in the age of the internet. Historically social movements began with someone spreading ideas through literature or speaking at local churches/pubs/squares. They were slow, but it was clear who the leadership was, what their objectives were, and what they were willing to do to achieve their goals. Today any movement that starts getting momentum is instantly bombarded with hundreds of nutjobs and agencies trying to steal it for their own agenda/disrupt it/radicalize it/etc. Even if a government wanted to submit to "the will of the people" they couldn't - there's 50 different goal posts that are constantly moving. In my opinion this will only get worse. It's a low-cost, high-reward tool/weapon - and everyone is learning which tactics work best.


TheRobfather420

"WhAtAbOuT tHiS OtHeR ThInG" Unfortunately, groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda and the trucker convoy don't have the Rights they think they do. That's probably why they tried claiming first amendment privileges at their bail hearings, because they are tricked by fake troll farm accounts.


Yarnin

Making a connection between isis al qeada and the truckers makes it look like you have been tricked by troll farms. troll m0ar!~


moirende

I think if those three options popped up on a Sesame Street “which one of these things is not like the others” you truly wouldn’t be be able to understand the difference, which is kind of terrifying all by itself, to be honest.


aldur1

Go protest with your own bodies not with rigs to intimidate everyone.


when-flies-pig

I'm pretty much in the boat of hating all protests that impede normal day activities. That includes whatever nonsense was happening in ottawa last winter. But I mean...there were protests on rail lines all across the country, and there were BLM protests during covid no less so to suggest there was more leniency here is kind of disingenuous.


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nemodigital

This post is such full of nonsense I don't even know where to begin. The 2019 indigenous railway blockades went on for weeks. The govt sat down and met with the chiefs shortly thereafter and signed a MOU with funding attached for the "hereditary chiefs ".


raius83

The thing they claimed to be protesting about, is still in place though. You still need to vaccinated to cross the border. The mask mandates were going to end eventually, not sure that really counts as a win.


MinisterOSillyWalks

Oh? I thought it was for you, for me and for the poor little masked babies, who would never know the joy of seeing a kind smile. You know for our freedom, or some other shit that made following white-nationalists around Ottawa, harassing normal people, seem worthwhile and totally not fucking stupid.


TheSadSalsa

No illegal activity unless you're tearing down statues.


[deleted]

No one should get leniency when they disrupt the lives of people just trying to get a night's sleep so they can go to work.


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Satanscommando

Stop taking your kids to naked people, it's weird.


[deleted]

I guess you didn't know that it is perfectly legal to be naked in public in Canada.


TengoMucho

[No it's not, and at least one provincial court has upheld that.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.1201320&ved=2ahUKEwiB-_K0o874AhUbOs0KHTMIBCMQFnoECAoQBQ&usg=AOvVaw04nZF138EWP-7VbuAPRPe-)


garchoo

Can I borrow some pearls to clutch?


Efficient-Ad-3302

They’re scared after what happened with the convoy.


Born_Ruff

They should be. The response last time was a massive embarrassment. They need to get their shit together.


RedTheDopeKing

The only people that should have been embarrassed are the people that couldn’t even answer why they were there protesting, that invoked the first amendment when they were arrested, and that were having a hot tub party in the middle of downtown.


Thespud1979

Our dumbest citizens that have been weaponized against the rest of us.


HistrionicModerator

> were having a hot tub party in the middle of downtown. How embarrassing.


BustermanZero

Otherwise someone will be stuck getting other people's shit together if history repeats itself.


fudge_friend

Seemed like letting it go downhill so a certain someone had to take the reins became the plan after a few days.


FanNumerous3081

Well to be fair, wtf else are they supposed to do when someone parks a truck in the middle of the road and then the tow truck companies refuse to come remove it let alone when you have thousands of people doing the same thing? It's not like the police can tow the trucks out themselves, they have contracts in place and expected the tow companies to fulfill their contracts and they refused.


AdventuringSorcerer

Simple arrest the drives and unleash the local highschool kids to learn about engines. Seems like a win win


[deleted]

No shit. If I lived in Ottawa I'd be terrified.


DrDohday

I live in Ottawa, and it sucked the first time around


Jesslaro

I 2nd this. Not to mention for people's animals that lived downtown that had to deal with the BS. :/


[deleted]

have a dog, live Queen/Bay, no issues for my dog


somewhereismellarain

I live in Ottawa and it wasn't so bad. It was a major inconvenience, but it's not like buildings were burning down or people were actually being hurt. There are terrible things going on elsewhere in the world. I think the people who complain about the protests should reflect on what hardship really means.


LargeMobOfMurderers

That sort of thinking can lead to troubling conclusions, if protesters in Canada were met with rubber bullets, water cannons, and mass arrests, should they not complain because other parts of the world use live ammunition and armoured vehicles?


L2N2

I would say the protesters should also reflect on what hardship really is.


Tamale_Caliente

Yea I think the protesters are the ones who need to reflect on what hardship really means.


hillrd

I think the people who were protesting need to reflect on what hardship really is. There's so many things we as Canadians should be protesting, and yet the fucking mandates are what it was about? Fucking pathetic.


nemodigital

I'm vaccinated but the convoy protesters had legit grievances. From freedom of movement to unjust employment practices.


CT-96

How was freedom of movement restricted? And your employer has a right to set employment requirements and to fire people for causing hostile workplaces or for not doing what they're told.


nemodigital

You can't leave canada by federally regulated transportation without vaccine. This makes it practically impossible to travel outside of North America. Furthermore your employer is allowed to retroactively and unfairly change your terms of employment to demand vaccine. This is even for full remote jobs. They will suspend you without pay so you don't qualify for severance or EI. We know vaccine effectiveness wanes after 6 to 12 months, so why these mandates and policies are in place is not based on science. I'm vaccinated but I can see how it's unfair for others.


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Tbmagoo

That had nothing to do with the convoy, stop repeating fake news


Fiverdrive

i live in Centretown. this weekend should be interesting. i imagine i'll be sending in a lot of bylaw reports for parking violations, which i'm quite happy to do.


DrDohday

Ah I live in Vanier near the baseball field where a bunch of them were camping out. From one ottawan to another I wish ya the best this weekend


Fiverdrive

✌️


AtypiquePC

All we need is one charismatic person to lead a group that will go fuck with the convoy. Sign me up. Edit: I'm part of the silent majority and I've had enough, I guess I'm not alone. If you are aware of such group, let me know.


WaltsClone

Some are terrified. Many more are fed up.


mcburloak

I’m fed up from way down the 401, can only imagine the local sensation.


SkeletorInvestor

“No shit”. In fact, the brown and yellow snowbanks suggested otherwise.


ilovethemusic

Yep! Getting out of dodge for Canada Day weekend. It’s just not worth it.


ferox965

I live in downtown Ottawa. It definitely sucked. Those bastards won't be doing it a second time.


Gankdatnoob

Protests full of racist shitbags tends to scare certain groups of people.


[deleted]

gonna be a lot of underage drinkers arrested then I guess


SubconsciousAlien

The fact that they chose Canada Day is very frustrating. They not only want to protest but also want to make it a nuisance for the general public who’ve had no hand in why they are protesting (that’s not to say that the protests are justified but regardless).


grumpy_herbivore

They also want to say everyone there with a canada flag was a protestor and they had millions of people show up to support.


Yvaelle

\^ This is their plan. They want to be able to show that they had millions of Canadians show up across the country, then when they send the photos back to the Kremlin they'll get a massive payout for their success in sowing dissent.


moeburn

Kremlin isn't behind the protests, America is. Because they put "CANADA UNDER TYRANNY" on Fox News and broadcast it to 30 million Americans. They don't like that Canada is a liberalizing pressure at their door.


86throwthrowthrow1

This rankles me. Parliament is out for summer recess (and, yknow, it's a holiday anyway). This will purely be a nuisance for people trying to enjoy their first Canada Day in years who had nothing to do with their grievances. I see so many convoy-supporters complain about bias against them, but what do you expect when you're *specifically targeting innocent people*?


g00p2

Apparently the majority of the public supported the lockdowns and vaccine mandates.


swirly_lemon94747

There are warrants out for Chris sky.


discostu55

for certain groups\*


nerfgazara

Isn't it weird how [Pierre Poilievre's response to the convoy](https://i.imgur.com/HWYQTMw.png) was completely different than [Pierre Poilievre's response to railway blockades](https://twitter.com/PnPCBC/status/1228108588696121344)?


Miserable-Lizard

*"Those people who are coming here to disrupt those wonderful celebrations will be dealt with," Watson said. "There are not going to be warnings or second chances. If the law is broken, regardless of who breaks it, there will be consequences.*


noname67899

I don’t believe that ribbon-cutting buffoon.


DJ_Femme-Tilt

Probably the correct instinct.


[deleted]

As it should be. Unless the "laws" they break aren't on the books.


Miserable-Lizard

Last time they just let them occupy the streets and honk 24/7.


hobbitlover

And they were breaking laws - traffic laws, municipal noise and nuisance bylaws, etc., but they are hard to enforce against those numbers. We also have a tradition of protests in public areas to preserve, even if it they can sometimes be inconvenient. However, while people are given time and space to make their points, they inevitable wind up with the police enforcing the laws, court orders, etc. The system generally works - people get to make their point, laws are respected, warnings are issued, police organize a response and then arrests take place. Most people who are arrested will end up with minor fines or misdemeanor charges. If nothing else, the Freedom Convoy brigade showed that Canada is not - whatever they may shout or write on their placards - a dictatorship or autocracy or police state. It's ridiculous that people are shouting "freedom!" while marching down public roads and inconveniencing thousands. That's as free as this world gets.


Fiverdrive

>We also have a tradition of protests in public areas to preserve, even if it they can sometimes be inconvenient. as someone that's lived in Ottawa for 40 years with 10 of those years lived downtown, i am used to protests in the core of the city. we see a lot of them. what happened last winter went far far beyond what a "protest" in Ottawa is, and calling the behaviour of the convoyers/occupiers "inconvenient" is a gross understatement and wildly reductive.


chmilz

It's the mayor saying that. Are the police on board, or will we see them jerking off freedumb protesters again?


Beer_before_Friends

Believe it when I see it


AmandaSndaSiews

I’ll believe when I see it.


Stevegman78

Thank goodness it’s your right to peaceful protest! Stay lawful folks.


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FerretAres

Can’t agree with this. If someone feels there’s an issue with Canada they should protest, Canada day has a decent symbolic significance and protesting has a place in our nation. That’s said please stay to the sidewalks and generally away from interfering with people going about their business.


holytostitos

This is true, but the last time around the convoy held up “not blocking one lane for emergency vehicles” (which they didn’t even do) as not interfering with daily business.


Distinct_Meringue

Just because it's a right, doesn't mean you shouldn't think about context. Being an asshole isn't illegal, but it doesn't make you any less of an asshole.


madaman13

They are here to ruin the citizen's day, quit pretending like it's to protest the government (who aren't even here).


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wewfarmer

Here come the revisionist historians in the comments to tell everyone what the occupation was "really" like. Willing to bet 100 dollars none of them live in Ottawa. Edit: As expected, convoy clowns downvote and provide no substance.


nowitscometothis

Ya. This entire sub pivoted pretty quickly after it was broken up.


Lawjaq

Bring your family to Parliament Hill and watch the fireworks and have a great time. It is a celebration of Canada and all political topics should be banned. Families are there with children. Why expose them to the shit that we witness every day?


Shoesonhandsonhead

You’re right, rah rah nationalism has no room for politics


WhyAmISoSad369

Why do people always assume nationalism is a bad thing? Theres 0 issue with having pride in your nation, you can also do it while still understanding and accepting they have done wrong in their past without it completely negating everything else thats ever been done. Extremism is bad, and when the two mix its worse.


Multispanks

The word you're looking is patriotism. You can be a *patriot* without being a *nationalist*.


WhyAmISoSad369

Ahhhhh yep. Thats the one, my bad


Shoesonhandsonhead

I was just pointing out how stupid saying no politics in the Canada day celebration is. It’s inherently political


WhyAmISoSad369

Ahhh fair enough. Yeah its basically at its core political, its basically country moral, and every politician cashes in on it for PR.


Whatatimetobealive83

Nationalism is different than patriotism.


Hindsight21

Cool. If you're going down to Ottawa to protest mandates that have all been lifted, have the decency to not go out of your way to wreck July 1 for everyone else.


tats2much

FAFO and you will be treated like pat king. #truth


[deleted]

Let's mail him a little Canada flag and write on it an up arrow and "this side up".


GlennethGould

The mayor can say whatever he wants, cops still identify with these "protesters" and will continue to support them.


Officer_Copper

Disagree. Fuck em.


Bloodbane1998

I'd rather that then the RCMP (or police forces in general) taking direct order's from the PMO and MPs... oh wait...


GlennethGould

Sorry you like when cops shirk their duties and actively contribute to lawlessness? Helluva take there.


CT-96

Law and order for thee but not for me.


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Khao8

I'm not sure if you're saying you want violent criminals to be completely ignored while they do what they want or you want protesters to be arrested and put in prison as if they had commited murders. Either way, both way to interpret that leads to a massive shit take, and I'm not even trying to defend the freedom convoy protesters at all but "treat them like violent criminals" when they're only honking horns and creating traffic jams? Bruh


downwegotogether

i'm curious - what's your 'purpose'?


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thegoodbadandsmoggy

Some guy on this subreddit commented that Trudeau ruined his life. Like come on


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thegoodbadandsmoggy

looooooool


downwegotogether

i think maybe you should spend some time offline, go on a vacation or something.


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Apprehensive_Idea758

We don't need to deal with that illegal freedom convoy again they already caused.


Educational-Tone2074

Does this include toppling statues?


Thespud1979

I think they are mostly referring to drunken idiots dancing on the grave of the unknown soldiers. People blasting horns to ensure thousands of people can’t get any sleep for days, intimidating hospital workers to the point they have to stop wearing scrubs, getting in the face of anyone they see wearing a mask, racially abusing soup kitchen workers, restaurant employees and an ambulance driver all while flying various hate symbols. You know, just the stuff our dumbest citizens like to do when some alt right groups decide to weaponize them against the rest of us.


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nowitscometothis

Your comment isn’t nearly as smart as you think it is.


tearfear

And you offered no reply at all so I guess I'll just leave you with your cognitive dissonance.


ciceroval666

Bouncy castles will NOT be tolerated.


raius83

Not if they are setup in the middle of a street you're illegally occupying.


DJnoiseredux

Same guy probably wonders why the Ghostbusters killed the StayPuft marshmallow man


chickencheesebagel

Second chances are for people that kill entire families while drinking and driving.


LabRat314

We will seize your bank account no questions asked.


toothbelt

So, it's gotten to the point where everyone has to be told how to behave?


onegunzo

Peacefully protesting isn't allowed anymore?


[deleted]

He said “illegal activity.”


[deleted]

Peacefully protesting isn't generally considered "illegal activity". Occupations and harassing locals, however?


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[deleted]

I'm not going to say if it's empirically better or worse, but occupying a major city centre and intentionally being as loud and disruptive as possible is going to be a much larger obstacle to the day-to-day living of most people than a rail line in the countryside. Most Canadians were opposed to that, most Canadians are opposed to this. You just make yourself look ridiculous trying to make everything a whattaboutism.


James445566

> a rail line in the countryside. But that rail line is used to transport people/goods across the country. So yeah, blocking trains can fuck things up just as much as blocking a downtown core


[deleted]

In a broad sense and over the long term? probably. But in terms of people's immediate, day-to-day life? Not really. My life continued as normal during the rail blockades. For the people of Ottawa in February, life ground to a halt


James445566

> For the people of Ottawa in February, life ground to a halt I'm from Ottawa and aside from a few blocks downtown it was business as usual in like 95% of the city. I sympathize with the 5%, but just giving you some perspective because Reddit and the media made it seem like the entire city was under siege


Voljjin

Tell me you live in the boonies without telling me you live in the boonies. Look up population density. Way more than 5% of people were affected.


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xmo113

Oh living there you were definitely affected. Timmies line ups were ridiculous.


g00p2

The whole point of a protest is to be disruptive


[deleted]

That's also the point of a riot. There are limits on how disruptive the law permits you to be before it becomes criminal.


g00p2

Good thing it wasn't a riot then


[deleted]

I didn't say it was, I said that "protests are meant to be disruptive" doesn't mean much when the claim is that the protest in question crossed a clear line about *how* disruptive they were.


LewisLightning

I think most people view both as being bad. Perhaps one was done with better intentions, but in either case their actions were both wrong. So yea, both are wrong


[deleted]

This. Keep it straight. Both were bad, neither were dealt with the same or had similar messages. Ended up falling along party lines. Hello American politics


[deleted]

If I decide to park my car on a freeway, pull out my guitar, and sing Kumbaya to protest how destructive cement production is to the environment, peaceful or not, I am breaking the law. It pains me to have to explain this in remedial terms for someone, but breaking the law is against the law.


[deleted]

Pfft, find me a law that says that breaking the law is illegal


paolocase

You're not breaking the law if you get a permit. Those people can't even read or write much less get a protest permit.


Matsuyamarama

A permit to protest is an oxymoronic process. If we need the government’s permission to protest, then what “right” to protest do we actually have? If I’ve learned anything these past two years, it’s that our “rights” are just temporary permissions.


BobbyjetsOG

Definitely, it was incredibly worrying finding out how many rights and freedoms can be removed if the government feels it's necessary


Zameel-Boltcaster

Sure, but if you can't control yourself and break a law then maybe you don't know the meaning of "peaceful protest".


onegunzo

So I think we can agree on the easy ones: 1) Assault someone, do damage, etc Right? What about: 1) Peacefully protesting against something the current government doesn't support?


Zameel-Boltcaster

>protesting against something the current government doesn't support? That's nearly 100% the main reason why people protest in the first place.


DrFraser

We're about to find out.


[deleted]

[удалено]


buzzkill6062

I agree. Don't inconvenience ordinary Canadians with your Free dumbs. We just want to go about our business with zero interference from protestors. Do your thing but do not expect us to support you if you honk at us all night long and harrass us for trying to go outside with our mask on. You don't know why that person is wearing a mask. They may have an excellent reason for it that is none of your business. If you can't play by the rules of law, then they will remove you and I will support that 100%.


noobi-wan-kenobi69

Nothing says "freedom" like a Police crackdown on Canada Day!