Republicans in the U.S. are supporting the Ottawa trucker protests

Police man a barricade in entrance of autos parked as a part of the trucker protest, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Ottawa’s downtown. Canadian lawmakers expressed growing fear about protests over vaccine mandates and different COVID-19 restrictions after the busiest border crossing between the U.S. and Canada turned partially blocked.

Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press by way of Related Press

Some U.S. Republicans vowed to research GoFundMe’s determination to take down a web page that was receiving donations for protesting truck drivers in Canada, though GoFundMe has already mentioned it can refund all donations.

What’s occurring: The “Freedom Convoy,” a convoy of anti-vaccine mandate Canadian truckers and their supporters, ventured to Ottawa, blocking the U.S.-Canadian border, in response to Deseret Information.

• These truckers are opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckers to cross the border between the U.S. and Canada.
• A state of emergency was declared in Ottawa, Canada’s capital.

Supporters within the U.S.

Many Republicans have come ahead in help of the protesters. In a press release on Friday, President Donald Trump known as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a “far left lunatic,” occurring to say that the “insane covid mandates” are destroying Canada.

• Per The Washington Submit, Trump even urged the protesters to return to the U.S. to protest public well being measures.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took to Twitter to help the truck drivers after GoFundMe mentioned it was freezing donations made to the convoy.

• “It's a fraud for GofundMe to commandeer $9M in donations despatched to help truckers and provides it to causes of their very own selecting,” he mentioned. “I'll work with Lawyer Basic Ashely Moody to research these misleading practices — these donors needs to be given a refund.”

Texas Lawyer Basic Ken Paxton additionally spoke up in regards to the points associated to GoFundMe in a tweet on Saturday.

• “Patriotic Texans donated to Canadian truckers’ worthy trigger utilizing GoFundMe. This BLM-backing firm went woke, froze the funds, & did not ship Texans’ cash,” he mentioned. “Right now I assembled a crew to research their potential fraud & deception. Texas donors will get Justice!”

The identical day, GoFundMe issued a press release on Twitter, saying it will likely be refunding all donations to the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser.

Canada’s response

In line with ABC Information, the minister of public security, Marco Mendicino, shot again, saying: “It's definitely not the priority of the Texas lawyer basic as to how we in Canada go about our each day lives in accordance with the rule of regulation.”

• “We should be vigilant about potential international interference. ... No matter statements could have been made by some international official are neither right here nor there. We’re Canadian. We've got our personal set of legal guidelines. We'll observe them,” Mendicino mentioned.

In response to Paxton, a former senior adviser to Trudeau tweeted: “For some senior American politicians, patriotism means renting a mob to place a G7 capital underneath siege.”

Trudeau additionally took to Twitter to present his ideas in regards to the protests: “Canadians have the suitable to protest, to disagree with their authorities, and to make their voices heard. We’ll at all times defend that proper,” he mentioned.

• “However let’s be clear: They don’t have the suitable to blockade our economic system, or our democracy, or our fellow residents’ each day lives. It has to cease,” mentioned Trudeau.

What's the present state of affairs on the border?

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has urged the federal authorities to ship further 1,800 law enforcement officials and appoint a mediator to work with the protesters, in response to Al-Jazeera.

Protest organizer Tamara Lich mentioned on Monday that activists are keen to speak with the federal government to discover a answer however maintained their stance about wanting the COVID-19 restrictions to be eased.

“What we’re making an attempt to do proper now's reaching out to all the federal events in order that we will organize a sit-down,” Lich mentioned throughout a gathering streamed on YouTube, per TRT World.

“In order that we will begin these talks and see how we will transfer ahead, have their mandates and the restrictions lifted, restore Canadians rights and freedoms and go residence.”

On the opposite aspect of the border, greater than 100 Alaskan drivers gathered in Anchorage and confirmed their help for the Ottawa protesters on Sunday, in response to the Anchorage Every day Information. Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson, a Republican, and Republican Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan reportedly attended the occasion.