Canadian trucker convoy protests vaccine mandate

Thousands of protesters gathered in the Parliament District in Ottawa, Ontario, on Saturday, joining truckers who caravaned across Canada to push back against a new vaccine mandate. Police prepared for violence from fringe groups that also planned to attend the rally, but the protests remained peaceful. The convoy of trucks and other vehicles clogged traffic leading into downtown, and officials urged people to avoid the area.  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the protesters a “very troubling, small but very vocal minority of Canadians who are lashing out at science, at government, at society, at mandates and public health advice.″

What does the mandate do? While truckers were previously exempt from requirements to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the latest mandate imposed on Jan. 15 means unvaccinated Canadian truck drivers coming from the United States must get tested and quarantine for two weeks after crossing the border into the country. According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, roughly 16,000, or 15 percent, of truckers are not fully immunized against COVID-19. Two leaders of the movement said the protest is meant to fight government overreach. They raised more than $7 million on a GoFundMe page, where they also instructed attendees to remain peaceful. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard discuss how Canada’s pandemic policies have affected pastors and religious groups on The World and Everything in It podcast.