A group of truckers from Tennessee is traveling to Buffalo, New York, on the Canadian border to show support for their Canadian counterparts, who have been jamming the city of Ottawa and international trade routes in protest of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions.
The group is called “Convoy to Save America.”
“We are a grassroots movement, mamma bears, papa bears, patriots, of all denominations, of all races, of all religions, of all political views. It’s about getting together as Americans, getting away from the divide, and allowing us to be Americans again and free,” Pennie Fay, a member of the group leaving from Nashville, reportedly said.
Reuters reports that several other Convoy to Save America satellites will join the Tennessee group in descending upon Peace Bridge, one of the international crossings between the United States and Canada.
“This weekend is about the Canadians, about supporting them,” Fay reportedly said, “while at the same time bringing attention to the fact that we want the mandates gone. Remove them from state to state. We want a free country.”
The peaceful trucker protest is headed into its third week, and growing.
One group still occupies the Canadian capital of Ottawa.
Sunday also marks the seventh day of a protest that has halted traffic on Ambassador Bridge, a massive trade route between Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. As of Sunday, Michigan Department of Transportation (MIDOT) maps show that the bridge is still jammed.
Of note, that route is used by major U.S. auto companies to transport cars into Canada. Those companies have been forced to ramp down production thanks to the protest, costing them billions.
Ambassador Bridge is one of the two largest international land shipping routes between the U.S. and Canada.
Friday night, a judge in Ontario’s Superior Court issued an injunction ordering the crowd to disperse under the threat of arrest, but that effort only drew more protestors.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has prattled on social media for days, saying that the protests must end.
“I convened the Incident Response Group again today – we went over the efforts underway to address the illegal blockades and occupations. We’ll continue to make sure municipal, provincial, and federal authorities have what they need to end the blockades and protect public safety,” he said Saturday night.
I convened the Incident Response Group again today – we went over the efforts underway to address the illegal blockades and occupations. We’ll continue to make sure municipal, provincial, and federal authorities have what they need to end the blockades and protect public safety.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 13, 2022
Sunday, there is no end in sight.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
