Freedom Convoy Protesters Hold the Line at BC Parliament in Victoria

Hundreds of Freedom Convoy protesters returned to BC’s Legislative Assembly this afternoon, instead of the thousands from last Saturday. The lower turnout was to be expected: the previous event had been long in the planning; some restrictions were lifted just the day before; a bigger convoy is scheduled to arrive on Monday; and the weather was terrible. That being said, one factor certainly increased the turnout: His Worship John Horgan adding insult to injury with an undignified speech, calling on protesters to “get a hobby“:

Well, that’s my new hobby. I’m homeless, shit broke, effectively disabled, shut out of the system, and the pandemic effectively turned me into a criminal, so I’ve got nothing better to do with my time than to report on civil rights protests (and volunteering on the front lines of homelessness, saving lives and witnessing real tragedies every night). Also, words like that are music to my ears because it means the protests are working, so let’s keep it up.

One noticeable difference with previous protests is that the parliament was offering free visits; maybe that’s a new tactic to win over protesters. I tried attending because I’d arrived a bit early, and even successfully asserted my medical mask mandate exemption (masks are still required in Parliament, and so is vaccination), but was turned back anyway because I slipped out that I was attending the protest (said something unnecessary again, too bad). Maybe next time.

Turnout was somewhere between 200 and 300 at peak attendance and the convoy proper was a bit thin. Disappointed? Feel free to revisit my coverage of previous Freedom Convoys: