'We are going all the way, whatever it takes': 'Freedom Convoy' makes its way through London, Ont.
Supporters showed up in droves, converging on highway overpasses and along roadways waving flags and signs, backing the 'Freedom Convoy' as it made its way through London, Ont. Thursday.
"We're just here to support the truckers, our freedom of choice, our freedom of rights,” said Jen Humphreys, who lined the Wellington Road overpass with her two daughters.
The group of truckers began a cross-country trip in British Columbia over the weekend and are headed to Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
"We are going all the way, whatever it takes, we have food fuel and everything, and a ton of support behind us - we mandate freedom, that's what this is all about,” said Felipe Wiebe, a truck driver for over 25 years.
The protest was initially organized in response to a new rule prohibiting unvaccinated truckers from crossing the border without quarantining.
But participants at the demonstrations say that it is also about various other policies that they say infringe on their freedoms.
"This is not about vaccines, it's about choice. I’m in a free country, I am a free man, so I can do whatever I want to,” said Gurtek Singh, an independent truck driver who joined the protest at the Flying J Travel Center in London.
"Unfortunately now we're being forced to either vaccinate or lose our jobs, and not be able to go to church, so we're just here, we're fighting for freedom and standing together like Canadians do,” said convoy supporter Linda Koopman.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced the protest during a press conference Wednesday.
"Small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa, or are holding unacceptable views that they're expressing, do not represent the views of Canadians."
The Canadian Trucking Alliance has also made it clear that it has nothing to do with the protest.
Supporters also gathered at the Flying J, a gas station in London, Ont., waiting for the truck convoy to arrive.
"My great grandpa and my grandma fought for freedom in this country, and that's what Canada’s stood for and we've always fought for it for everybody else, so it's time to fight for it for us,” said Kelly Corneal, who came out with her parents to support truckers.
In social media posts, the Ontario Provincial Police warned drivers of potential delays along the major 400-series highways and issued alerts regarding emergency responders experiencing difficulty responding to calls.
Organizers say that the event in Ottawa will be peaceful and will follow all local laws, as Ottawa police plan for several days of protests.
As of Jan. 23, all non-Americans entering the United States at a land border must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including Canadian truckers.
- With files from CTV News Toronto
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'