At What Point Does This Desperation Become More Despicable and Less Sad?

The brown-shirts certainly have come out of the woodwork:

Sloly tried to put the best face possible on his actions Monday, claiming credit for a reduction in the total number of demonstrators. Hundreds of police officers from outside the city are already assisting, but Sloly says he needs 1,800 additional officers and civilians to get the job done. For context, Ottawa has 1,200 police officers. At least he’s stopped calling for the army to assist.

The question is, what would all these additional people do? Sure, they could hand out more tickets or enforce the ban on delivering fuel, but what’s needed is someone from the federal level to listen to the protesters and try to negotiate either their departure or limits on the demonstration that would enable life in the heart of the country’s capital to return to something like normal.

Instead of effective action, though, all that is being offered are more inflammatory words. Trudeau has done nothing but pour scorn on the demonstrators and Watson piled on Monday, referring to hooliganism, psychological warfare, malicious intent and people “looking for a fight.”

There are definitely some reprehensible people taking part in the truckers’ protest and the group has worn out its welcome. That doesn’t mean that the whole group should be treated like the Mongol Horde. A recent Angus Reid Institute poll says 54 per cent of Canadians want pandemic restrictions to end now and provincial governments are moving in that direction.

Trudeau should come out of hiding and tell the truckers they are just slightly premature in their demands. That would be leadership. Instead, everyone is working together to do nothing. That’s business as usual in Ottawa, but these are not usual times.

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Reminder for people who say that PM Trudeau shouldn’t meet with the protesters because (insert grievance here):

PM Trudeau met with Joshua Boyle when he was under active investigation by the police on multiple criminal charges. PMO would have known about them.

— Darshan Maharaja (@TheophanesRex) February 8, 2022

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Federal Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra is asking provinces to use their powers to suspend the commercial licenses or insurance of trucks used in protest convoy blockades in different parts of Canada.

 

I didn't realise that dissent was illegal, Rumpelstiltskin. 

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Peacefully?? I think we're past this. Get the military here and get this done and over with. If there's bloodshed, there's bloodshed, so be it. #GetThemAllOut #Military #OttawaOccupation

— Jen Walsh (@Jeny_Walsh) February 7, 2022

Maybe people didn't want to hear pots and pans at night (like that was a productive use of time and resources, anyway):

Ontario Superior Court Justice Hugh McLean has granted a 10-day injunction to prevent truckers parked on city streets in downtown Ottawa from honking their horns incessantly.

 

 

I wouldn't be proud of that, you douche:

The chief of police in Ottawa says his efforts and those of the city are behind the cancellation of the GoFundMe campaign in support of the Freedom Convoy.

 

This campaign: 

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the federal government will be in a position to act should law enforcement detect nefarious financial support of the “Freedom Convoy.”

His comments come amid speculation that the convoy received American-backed financing as it pursued its occupation of the nation’s capital in an attempt to convince elected officials to remove all vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions.

American crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, where the convoy’s more than $10 million were raised, removed the group’s fundraising page last Friday after stating it violated the platform’s terms.

 

Knee-jerk anti-Americanism often works.

However ... :

In addition to lobbyists, foreign donors have also been giving more to the foundation in recent years. Chinese national Bin Zhang, who made a $200,000 gift to the charity following a cash-for-access Liberal fundraiser with prime minister Justin Trudeau, has been the focus of heated debate in the House of Commons. The gift, which was first reported by the Globe and Mail, counted as a domestic donation, since it was made by a company registered in Canada.

 

Everything about this makes sense when one sees that it is an amateurish attempt to frame a popular movement:

my fav detail about this real thing that totally happened: tenant asks arsonist—mid-arson—who he is. arsoner stops his arsoning & says "I'm a convoy protestor guy/arsoner" Then he continues arsoning, while tenant goes to bed in his soon-to-be-immolated building & doesn't call 911 pic.twitter.com/ebJz42NPu0

— Jonathan Kay (@jonkay) February 7, 2022

 

We can't all be DB Cooper.