END THE LOCKDOWN MEGA RALLY IN KELOWNA DRAWS 2,000 JOYOUS FREEDOM FIGHTERS
KELOWNA. December 12, 2020.
“This is the biggest freedom rally the Okanagan has ever seen,” Dave
Lindsay shouted as he greeted the over 2,000 people who had gathered
here for the Mega END THE LOCKDOWN Rally at noon. They came from Lilooet
and Kamloops, from Salmon Arm and the Lake Country, from Vernon and
Armstrong, from Keremos, Penticton, Okanagan Falls and Oliver. One
caravan even drove up from Vancouver. As the cavalcade from Salmon Arm
and Vernon drove down the highway their honking horns and anti-Lockdown
banners drew many thumbs up and supportive honks.
The
rally opened with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. Singer and
songwriter Jacqueline-Rose warmed up the crowd as latecomers continued
to stream in.
Then,
Dave Lindsay of Penticton, Chairman of C.L.E.A.R. (Common Law Education
and Rights Initiative), who has organized the weekly Kelowna Rally
since April had the crowd cheering with an attack on Bonnie Henry,
British Columbia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health: “Bonnie Henry is
trying to steal Christmas from us. Have as many people in your house as
you want to.” “And,” he added to laughter and more cheers, “Bonnie the
commie will never get another Christmas present!”
Mr.
Lindsay noted: “COVID has divided families and it’s divided mine.” He
charged that the government’s position is a mass of lies and
misinformation. “The PCR test they use ha 10 major flaws. It can have an
up to 95% error rate. So, why are we using this test?The death rate in
B.C. was going down before masks were made mandatory in indoor public
spaces. Now, the death rate is going up!”
In
a nurses’ case, several years ago, “Bonnie Henry gave testimony that
masks are not effective,” but now she’s imposing them on British
Columbians. “Bonnie Henry, you’re not a hero,” Mr. Lindsay concluded and
the crowd took up a chorus of “lock her up!”
Ted
Kuntz, President of Vaccine Choice Canada, also spoke. He outlined the
terrible damage done to his son by a vaccine and the years of suffering
before the lad’s premature and untimely death.
Thanking the R.C.M.P. for helping the rally co-ordinate its march, Mr. Lindsay directed the crowd out from Stuart Park for a parade through the downtown part of Kelowna. Police blocked off one side of the road. The freedom fighters, including many couples with children and even some with babies in strollers stretched more than 10 city blocks. The joyous crowd, with not a mask in site, frequently broke into chants of “freedom” “no more lockdowns!” and, at several points, “Oh, Canada.” Many people along the route gave a thumbs up, many passing cars honked in approval. A few signalled disapproval, including one old lady, masked and alone in her car, who flashed the middle finger at the freedom parade.
After
the parade many of the freedom fighters lined the sidewalk along Harvey
Street where traffic inbound to Kelowna crosses over a bridge spanning
Lake Okanagan.
The
afternoon, however, ended on a sour note when rally organizer Dave
Lindsay was presented with a $2,500 fine by the R.C.M.P., a fine that
the court-wise Mr. Lindsay intends to challenge vigorously.
Once again, CAFE, which has backed all END THE LOCKDOWN protests since they began in Vancouver in mid-March, attended with a number of supporters from up and down the Okanagan.