You just can’t avoid hearing about this. It’s everywhere! Main stream media, social media, you name it. If you wake up in the morning, you WILL hear about it. They are there, on Parliament Hill, protesting. The protestors claim they are dug in for the long haul while politicians refuse to bend. It looks like a long term situation, but is it?
Convoy organizers have some big bucks behind them. A go fund me page has been opened with a ten million dollar goal set. As I white this article, they have so far been pledged over nine million.All that came in over the past ten days or so. It is not showing any signs of slowing down and despite earlier reports, the funding page is not shut down.
The intentions for the cash, acording to organizers, is to fund expenses for the protesers. Fuel, food, and lodging where needed. Ten million dollars would really go a long way to cover those expenses. The problem is, how are they going to get it to those that need it.
Various police forces have blocked off the area. No one in, and I’m guessing no one leaving will be let back in either. These rigs carry upwards of four hundred liters of fuel, and since it is extremely unlikely that a fuel truck is going to get anywhere near them, it looks like a lot of jerry cans need to be carried in. That’s not a solution, and it won’t be long before those trucks run out of the fuel they need to keep sleepers warm and the horns blowing. Sure, these rigs are designed to be on the road for extended periods of time, but they can only do so with regular fuel supplies.
Since some of these truckers arrived on Friday (today being Monday), sanitation is going to be a factor, and very soon. One trucker who was live streaming from the protest site claimed that there were only two portable toilets available. After almost four complete days, one has to believe that those toilets are full…maybe even over full. At the same time, products are being consumed. Food and beverage containers must be piling up by now. Granted, in the feeds I’ve seen, all garbage seems to be bagged and placed beside municipal recepticles. So far so good, but those piles are going to grow. I have some doubts that garbage trucks are doing their rounds.
Believe it or not, public opinion is a factor. With the few unfortunate events on Saturday, that opinion has been spun in a negative light. On a local factor, residents of Ottawa are not happy. At least not the ones being dragged in front of the cameras anyways. However it is not solely the fault of main stream media bias. The organizers have failed to use that very same media to their advantage. A simple public statement to the media denouncing the few, but very controversial acts, along with a commitment to oust those that soil the reputation and intentions of the movement would go a long way. A call for protesters to respect monuments, avoid hate related symbols, and to not harass those that would be choosing to wear masks while they try to go about their buisiness could only give them the public credibility they need right now. Trust me, if this is going to succeed, they NEED that public support. A recent poll showed that only thirtysix percent of Canadians support the mandatory vaccination. Use that, work with that, build with that.
When I take a step back and give an honest look at this, I can’t help but notice some serious issues with the planning of this protest. A ten million dollar go fund me account is great, but it came too late. For this to last any great amount of time, some of that cash was needed before these trucks ever got on the road. They have trucks, big trucks, and didn’t seem to use them. With some cash at the outset, there could have been trucks with food and water. There could have been a couple of tanker trucks with diesel to keep everyone running. A couple of sewage suckers would also be welcome by now.
The idea that this convoy will force the Prime Minister to resign is absurd. The demands of protesters at this point are unrealistic. It simply won’t happen. That’s not to say that a compromise could not be reached. Perhaps allowing unvaxed truckes to continue to cross the border with proof of a negative test would be a start. In addition, the government could commit to putting out a clear and concise long term plan to get out of this mess, ride out the disease, and get the economy back on track could go a long way. That plan would obviously need to include precise conditions that would trigger precise relaxations of mandates as well as initiatives to get people back to work. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happeing.
In the end, the ball is in the government’s court and they hold all the cards. It is simply a matter of time, and I fear not much of it, before this protest fizzles out until there are too few protesters to garner any attention.
We shall see.
