While truckers continue to protest the federal government’s vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers in Ottawa (gaining pockets of support across the country), a small, peaceful but vocal group of protesters gathered on Huron Street Thursday afternoon.
“It’s about freedom. We’ve had many of our freedoms taken away and schooling is one of them,” said the Sault’s Merissa Dinner, one of four people gathered across the street from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) port of entry.
The protesters - with flags, signs and two of them with red and white makeup on their faces - stated they are weary of vaccination mandates and COVID restrictions.
“They (Batchewana First Nation) pulled educational funding from me because I wasn’t vaccinated. I didn’t want to be vaccinated but I didn’t really have a choice,” said Tasheena Nielsen, now attending Sault College and awaiting OSAP funding.
“I want an end to the vaccination mandate for the future of our children, to not have to do this when they’re older,” Nielsen said.
“What happened to Tasheena pushed me over the limit,” said Dinner (who also was vaccinated in order to attend Sault College) in support of Nielsen.
A protester with a flag stood nearby.
“I decided to join in because I’ve been involved. I was down in Ottawa for the protest. When I was down there it was very peaceful, very friendly. People just want their lives back,” the man said, asking not to be identified.
“I’m for lifting the mandates. It’s time to lift the mandates. Get the masks off the kids. These kids are getting depressed,” the man said.
“It’s time for the government to stop running our lives. I don’t need Doug Ford and Justin Trudeau to run my life,” said protester Mike Cyr.
COVID guidelines have been inconsistent, Cyr said.
“Who came up with this stuff? A relative of mine is in college. He can’t go to college to learn but he has to go twice a week to the college for phys ed. If you can’t go to school to learn how can you go to school to do phys ed? Where’s the logic in this? If there’s five people at a table (at a restaurant) that’s no good, but four’s okay. None of this makes sense.”
“If (COVID) is so deadly like they say, then shut everything down and everybody stay home until it passes. So obviously it’s not as deadly as they say. It’s a power grab. From what I see all they want to do is run everybody’s lives,” Cyr said.
It is not known how long the protestors planned to stay at the scene.
