Truckers Set Off in Convoy for Ottawa to Protest Vaccine Mandate

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Hundreds of truckers set off in convoy from British Columbia toward Ottawa on January 23 to protest against a COVID-19 vaccination mandate, local news reports said.

A vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers came into effect on January 15. The mandate would see unvaccinated drivers face a two-week quarantine and pre-arrival molecular test for the virus before crossing back into Canada from the US.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance said it “does not support and strongly disapproves of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges.” It said the “vast majority of the Canadian trucking industry is vaccinated.”

The demonstration has been dubbed the “Freedom Rally,” with the hashtag #TruckersForFreedom also being used by those posting about the protest on social media.

Brandon Quirk said this video showed the scene at a gas station in Calgary, Alberta, early on Monday morning. Reports said two groups joined up in Calgary the night before. Credit: Brandon Quirk via Storyful