Freedom Convoy Protesters Counter Police Plan to Foil Protest

Seen it all already? Well, the whole event went off script this Saturday, so keep reading.

Events took an unexpected turn at this Saturday’s edition of the Freedom Convoy here at the BC Parliament in Victoria, when the police erected multiple blockades designed to thwart the convoy proper’s plan to circle around the Legislative Assembly yet again, in the name of “de-escalation”.

The trucks are forced to turn left on Belleville Street, away from Parliament.

Of course there was a convoy, but to see it one had to walk upstream on Douglas Street, past Belleville Street’s blockade, where the police diverted the traffic away from Parliament. Rumour went that such blockades had been set all across James Bay to prevent the convoy from working its way around it, at least in an organised fashion. I was able to capture some footage nonetheless:

See more videos on Youtube.

Honourable mention in best decorated truck category.

Getting stuck on Douglas Street wasn’t part of the plan.

Of course the roughly one thousand hobbyists waiting faithfully at the rendez-vous point were disappointed. We’d all come to see a big convoy of honking trucks, right? Well, the organisers decided that if the convoy could not come to us, then we would go to the convoy! So the crowd departed for the march much sooner than the police anticipated, and their plan turned against them: the protesters ended up causing far more traffic disruption than previous weeks when the convoy made it unimpeded, while some convoy vehicles sneaked behind the march anyway. I bet the police won’t try again next week.

See more videos on Youtube.

“If the convoy won’t come to us, let’s go to the convoy!”

One thousand protesters on Douglas Street, about an hour earlier than expected.

I feel sympathy for the drivers stuck in the march. Only for three minutes though.

The marchers rallied at Douglas and Pandora for more speeches, then went on Fisgard and turned around on Government Street. That didn’t seem to be part of the plan either, as a segment of the road was under construction.

Continuing on Douglas Street until Fisgard.

Turning left on Fisgard, toward Government Street.

I bet trampling a construction site on Government Street wasn’t part of the plan.

I’ve captured some entertaining footage on the way, of an impromptu counter-protester haranguing the marchers:

See more videos on Youtube.

Finally, I would like to illustrate just how much protesting has been taking place at Parliament recently, with the lawn all over turning to mud:

Yuck. That’s what the lawn looks like now at Parliament, after being trampled by thousands upon thousands of protesters for several weeks.

You should see my shoes and pants. We’re all getting muddy in this mudslinging match, the protesters and politicians both, the latter which fear it far more than the former. Stay tuned for more coverage and hopefully a happy conclusion for everyone; in any case, it’s bound to be entertaining.

Previous Freedom Convoy coverage: