[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Jacob]

Class action suit filed against the convoy protestors, focusing on the thing I personally find the most egregious - the continuous honking.

Organizers of the Freedom Convoy that has gridlocked downtown Ottawa for the last week are facing a $9.8-million class-action lawsuit over relentless horn noise, filed on behalf of residents of the city's downtown core.

According to a statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Friday by lawyer Paul Champ, the lawsuit is seeking $4.8 million for "private nuisance" and another $5 million in "punitive damages."

In the statement of claim, the plaintiff focuses on one of the main tactics convoy participants have used to make their presence known: the continuous honking of their vehicle horns.

"The Freedom Convoy horn protest organized by the defendants has caused significant mental distress, suffering and torment to the plaintiff and the proposed class members," reads the statement of claim.

The case could come to court as early as Saturday, as the plaintiff is seeking an injunction calling for an end to the continued "nuisance" being experienced by downtown residents that have now faced a week of disruptions due to the ongoing demonstration.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/lawsuit-filed-against-convoy-organizers-seeking-damages-on-behalf-of-downtown-ottawa-residents-1.5768731

[Jacob]

Also, GoFundMe has removed the FluTruxKlan's from their site:

An online fundraiser for the trucker convoy protests has been removed by GoFundMe.

"GoFundMe supports peaceful protests and we believe that was the intention of the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser when it was first created," the company said in a statement released Friday evening. "We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity."

According to the Feb. 4 GoFundMe statement, the company determined the fundraiser violated its terms of service, "which prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment."

GoFundMe first suspended the "Freedom Convoy" fundraiser on Feb. 2 after it had racked up more than $10 million in donations.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada/trucker-convoy-fundraiser-removed-from-gofundme-1.5768824

[Jacob]

From a twitter thread on the FluTruxKlan:

I'm not sure if people not in Ottawa fully grasp the extent of the so-called freedom convoy's organization and infrastructure, which has deeply installed itself in downtown Ottawa.

They brought their own cranes with them.



They brought their own porta-potties, which are blocking streets and the freeway.



They have bonfires going in the middle of the street, and bonfires in cans being driven around on the back of truck trailers.



They have a full tent city situation. They seem to work in shifts honking in various vehicles and then will trade off with others for breaks, leaving to various tent and trailer shelters throughout town for food, warmth etc.



They have brought old broken and run-down trucks and have left them in the middle of the roads. It's Mad Max-esque.



They have a pick-up truck and mini-backhoe on a tractor trailer parked right in front of parliament.



They have taken the wheels off cars in some intersections, so they are immovable.

There is seemingly a random person in the car who works in shifts honking randomly and/or yelling out of a megaphone.



The entire downtown core of Ottawa is completely blocked off with vehicles. This is not 50 people, or 200 people. There are hundreds and hundreds of vehicles and people still here. They are deeply installed, and continue to hold the city hostage.

[saskganesh]

OK, this is not a trucker's protest. 90% of Canada's truckers are vaccinated and working. The organisers of this shit show are Wexit, Maga, and Nazi apologists types. Call it the the Red Rose Tea party. There are real grievances and frustrating (loss of income and all that brings, loss of some civil liberties. bouncing ball government lock downs,  too many Karen's and Chads in government who think the "rules" do not apply to them), but overall you have to agree it it is incoherent and Post Truth. Which makes it hard to unpack on a discussion level.

Ironically the only leader they have disposed so far is O' Toole. A leader who tried to court them. They were not the cause of O' Tooles ouster, but they created the opportunity to do it quickly.

On the O'Toole ending, I would like to post this excellent piece from TV Ontario. The author is a conservative, the subject remains anonymous for obvious reasons but it is a very very good read.

https://www.tvo.org/article/anything-to-end-the-insanity-a-tory-insider-on-otooles-ouster

You all know the Conservatives are very good at Civil War. They are currently the kind of people who will want to burn down the village in order to save it. This incompetence will likely mean a Trudeau 4th (!) term, instead of a a golden handshake, and honourable retirement after three.

I could be wrong on much of the above. That's OK. I do think this country is going in the wrong direction, and Covid has exacerbated the faultlines, which should be evident. We are not all in this together, and we never were. And we should recognise that this is a increasingly a very unfair society which will lead to the degradation of our democracy.

That blather all said, there's no shooting, and so  for that I am very grateful.

My advise to government is to not send out the military, OPP,  or Ottawa police. Just send out the parking cops. Ask or volunteers in their ranks. Train them in a one day course deescalation. " I  am sorry, sir/madam, there are multiple complaints, I will have to give you this  illegal parking ticket for $x00 dollars unless you move now. Otherwise you will have to face a judge and/or lose your license. Not my decision, By the way, you look great. Now, can we talk hockey?". Yada yada. Rinse/repeat .No quota and give them double time and a half. Maybe Tim Horton's could sponsor 10K coffees a day\. Or maybe since pot is so incredibly legal, distribute free cannabis. Valentine's Day and Family Day are coming up: Fall in love, make a baby. (Call it the Soma Solution.)

Anyway, the government is really really good at fucking with anarchist punks, blacks, and indigens. They should be OK with nicing out cargo culture Q Anons.

Interesting times. Stay Safe. Good Luck.

[Grey Fox]

See CC, this is what I mean by weak provincial governments.

[Jacob]

My advise to government is to not send out the military, OPP,  or Ottawa police. Just send out the parking cops. Ask or volunteers in their ranks. Train them in a one day course deescalation. " I  am sorry, sir/madam, there are multiple complaints, I will have to give you this  illegal parking ticket for $x00 dollars unless you move now. Otherwise you will have to face a judge and/or lose your license. Not my decision, By the way, you look great. Now, can we talk hockey?". Yada yada. Rinse/repeat .No quota and give them double time and a half. Maybe Tim Horton's could sponsor 10K coffees a day\. Or maybe since pot is so incredibly legal, distribute free cannabis. Valentine's Day and Family Day are coming up: Fall in love, make a baby. (Call it the Soma Solution.)

I love this.

... are you on twitter? Can you get this in front of the City of Ottawa - and its citizens?

[Jacob]

Also sask, thank you for sharing that TVO article. Interesting reading

[saskganesh]

My advise to government is to not send out the military, OPP,  or Ottawa police. Just send out the parking cops. Ask or volunteers in their ranks. Train them in a one day course deescalation. " I  am sorry, sir/madam, there are multiple complaints, I will have to give you this  illegal parking ticket for $x00 dollars unless you move now. Otherwise you will have to face a judge and/or lose your license. Not my decision, By the way, you look great. Now, can we talk hockey?". Yada yada. Rinse/repeat .No quota and give them double time and a half. Maybe Tim Horton's could sponsor 10K coffees a day\. Or maybe since pot is so incredibly legal, distribute free cannabis. Valentine's Day and Family Day are coming up: Fall in love, make a baby. (Call it the Soma Solution.)

I love this.

... are you on twitter? Can you get this in front of the City of Ottawa - and its citizens?

I am on Twitter a bit, but do not ever post. If you want to you can repost, please edit for grammar. Attribute to a guy in Toronto who makes makes hamburgers for the homeless, which is my gig.

[viper37]

I have no opinion of the student riots (so don't ascribe any to me, please). I do note that the police response is different than what we see towards the FluTruxKlan.

EDIT: I will note that none of the noise in the videos you linked would cause hearing damage in bystanders, contrary to the actions of the FluTruxKlan.

the police response was different because:
a) they were vandalizing
b) they were on foot.

Unlike the US, our police forces do not have tanks. 

Quebec Premier and Quebec city mayor have announced they won't take any shit like in Ottawa and have towing trucks at the ready.

We'll see how this protest goes.

[saskganesh]

Also sask, thank you for sharing that TVO article. Interesting reading

It was one of the most candid pieces I have read in a long time. Very refreshing. That said, TVO has a lot of smart, credible, free content news online and worth following, and you can get it anywhere in the world. Public broadcasting FTW.

[viper37]

Class action suit filed against the convoy protestors, focusing on the thing I personally find the most egregious - the continuous honking.

Organizers of the Freedom Convoy that has gridlocked downtown Ottawa for the last week are facing a $9.8-million class-action lawsuit over relentless horn noise, filed on behalf of residents of the city's downtown core.

According to a statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Friday by lawyer Paul Champ, the lawsuit is seeking $4.8 million for "private nuisance" and another $5 million in "punitive damages."

In the statement of claim, the plaintiff focuses on one of the main tactics convoy participants have used to make their presence known: the continuous honking of their vehicle horns.

"The Freedom Convoy horn protest organized by the defendants has caused significant mental distress, suffering and torment to the plaintiff and the proposed class members," reads the statement of claim.

The case could come to court as early as Saturday, as the plaintiff is seeking an injunction calling for an end to the continued "nuisance" being experienced by downtown residents that have now faced a week of disruptions due to the ongoing demonstration.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/lawsuit-filed-against-convoy-organizers-seeking-damages-on-behalf-of-downtown-ottawa-residents-1.5768731

that would set a nice precedent: finally holding organizers responsible for the actions of their crowd.

So far, the court has refused to lean this way though. Hopefully, this time it'll be different

[crazy canuck]

Class action suit filed against the convoy protestors, focusing on the thing I personally find the most egregious - the continuous honking.

Organizers of the Freedom Convoy that has gridlocked downtown Ottawa for the last week are facing a $9.8-million class-action lawsuit over relentless horn noise, filed on behalf of residents of the city's downtown core.

According to a statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Friday by lawyer Paul Champ, the lawsuit is seeking $4.8 million for "private nuisance" and another $5 million in "punitive damages."

In the statement of claim, the plaintiff focuses on one of the main tactics convoy participants have used to make their presence known: the continuous honking of their vehicle horns.

"The Freedom Convoy horn protest organized by the defendants has caused significant mental distress, suffering and torment to the plaintiff and the proposed class members," reads the statement of claim.

The case could come to court as early as Saturday, as the plaintiff is seeking an injunction calling for an end to the continued "nuisance" being experienced by downtown residents that have now faced a week of disruptions due to the ongoing demonstration.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/lawsuit-filed-against-convoy-organizers-seeking-damages-on-behalf-of-downtown-ottawa-residents-1.5768731

that would set a nice precedent: finally holding organizers responsible for the actions of their crowd.

So far, the court has refused to lean this way though. Hopefully, this time it'll be different

I am not sure what court you are referring to Viper, organizers of unlawful protests are often sent to jail.  Look up the criminal trials for the people protesting the expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline on Burnaby Mountain.

Sask, thanks for posting that.  Good read. 

GF, please expand on your comment  - I am not sure if what we are seeing is a weak Ontario Government or a weak ass response from law enforcement who are much more reluctant to get in the face of white right wingers than they are of other groups.

[Zoupa]

If this shit happened in Paris, or god forbid Marseille or Napoli, those trucks would have been pelted with eggs, then veggies, then rocks, then set on fire, probably on day 2. Look at all the appartment complexes around.

How has this not happened yet?

[Habbaku]

I guess Canadians just aren't French enough.

[Zoupa]

Well, they should be. There are nazis and fellow travelers in there. Cops aren't doing shit. It's been over a week.