The Freedom Convoy in Ottawa Canada has been protesting against continued COVID mandates and restrictions in the country for weeks. The protest was finally broken up this past week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in the country's history since its inception.
But some who are faithful to Jesus are encouraging others and declaring why Christians should support truckers protesting against mandates.
Charisma News reported that the Freedom Convoy was able to do what it set out to do, which was to get its message clear to Canadian lawmakers, that "people are not going to sit idly by and let government roll over them."
The Freedom Convoy was participated in by more than 50,000 truckers and individuals in Canada who wanted to put an end to COVID mandates and restrictions. Before they were arrested, they occupied the capitol building in Ottawa and blocked off the Canadian-U.S. border, causing supply chain issues.
"We are here until all mandates are dropped," one protester declared. "We were talking to one of our fellow truckers who came from another country who said he had come 30 years ago to seek freedom and will not allow this country to become like the one he had left."
Trudeau meanwhile momentarily left Ottawa and claimed he got COVID and held a press conference in an undisclosed location. He condemned the Freedom Convoy and declared that he had "chosen to not go anywhere near protests that have expressed hateful rhetoric, violence toward fellow citizens. And a disrespect, not just of science, but of the frontline health workers."
Now, the Freedom Convoy has inspired a similar movement in the U.S. Called the People's Convoy, the movement is made up of "truckers, moms, students, nurses, doctors, investors, county workers, teachers, cowboys, loggers, engineers, sanitation workers, professors, cashiers, flight attendants, pilots, sales reps and physical therapists, among others."
The People's Convoy demand that the COVID pandemic national emergency, which President Joe Biden moved to extend this year, be lifted immediately. The group also wishes to "re-establish justice," among other things.
Newsweek reported that many already support truckers protesting against mandates in the U.S. In fact, the movement has already raised $311,362 in donations, according to its website. The upcoming protest is set to begin in Adelanto, California, on Wednesday, as part of an 11-day pilgrimage towards the nation's capital on March 5.
Last week, Canadian banks under the order of the government had begun freezing bank accounts and canceling credit cards of the Freedom Convoy participants and anyone who was "directly or indirectly" involved in the protests. Donations coursed through GoFundMe and GiveSendGo were also halted.
GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding website, was even hacked, with donor information leaked to the public. In an analysis, the list showed that California, Texas, Florida, New York and Michigan were the five largest state donors in the U.S. to fund the Canadian Freedom Convoy.
Now, the People's Convoy is hoping for that same support. The group said that the funds will be used to reimburse fuel charges and the hard costs of truckers. The fund will also be "handled by volunteer accountants and overseen by a law firm."
