Pressurization of the Freedom Protests in Victoria
Last December, when Joseph Roberts reminded us of the Nuremberg trials, PROTESTation at the Legislature took on a life of its own. Every Saturday since, has been a big EVENT with crowds of 1000 up to 5000 warm bodies. Word is out : we who don’t go along with the SCAMdemic myth, and those who are starting to think for themselves, arrive for fellowship, for smiles, for touch from normal people and to hear the speakers.
From the low point of the coldest day of the year – a dozen of us out there the day the fountain froze – there’s been daily presence on Belleville Street. Anywhere from 1 lone guy at 6 am, to one hundred on Wednesday afternoons. Flags galore. Honks from most of the big trucks going by. Many more from cars — 10 to one sympathetic to us
Saturday March 12th the front page of Victoria’s [ pathetic excuse for a ] newspaper * had a big color photo of John Horgan headlined
CONVOY WILL NOT OCCUPY VICTORIA VOWS HORGAN.
The Premier himself in damage-control mode evidences how rattled are the Powers-that-Be. The letters to the editor page – echoed by CHEK tv – is a polutical [ sic ] science case study in how government co-opts newsmedia for stoking hatred = outright hatred = against its critics
* Times Colonist
Victoria City Council was so terrified of the rumored ‘occupation’ that they brought in new traffic bylaws. That dirty trick was played on us, Saturday March 19th. As I got there, I noticed cops setting up big bright orange pylons a block away from the Legislature,. but didn’t think anything of it. At 11:30 am, I was puzzled by how few were on site for a day with a scheduled Big GATHERING.
Around noon, when the MC called for folks to assemble at the steps of the Legislature, the crowd was much smaller than predicted… maybe 300. Around 12:30 pm, I got word from folks trickling in, that police were diverting traffic at Belleville, up Douglas, the main street of Victoria. Only traffic local to James Bay neighbourhood – where the Rockpile is – was allowed past checkpoints. Like the analogy of how pigs were corralled in the swamp, communism came to our town under color of law, one seemingly-polite soft barrier at a time
Speakers had been told to shorten their remarks so the march would go sooner than first planned. I’m not a fan of appearance by video at an outdoor venue. Even if they’re not professional, much more information is gained from live humans, in what we used to call “the real world”. These people were outstanding. Jeremy Maddocks, Dr Chris Shaw and the lady lawyer from Ottawa, – others whose names I didn’t get – each made it as clear as can be : The NDP government smearing us with utter lies day-by-day, attempting to divide citizenry, sez we are now in a full-on crisis. NOT a health crisis, rather, illegal interference with basic civil rights. The veteran who spoke called for everyone to “stand to”. Be ready to do whatever is necessary.
At 1:20, Christian McCay exhorted: “If the Convoy can’t come to us, let’s go find them and bring them back here!” The crowd of about a 1000 ( by then ) moved off. For eight previous Saturdays, traffic going by a rally had been a solid parade of trucks + vehicles, honking. Because traffic was so sparse this time, the crowd just took over Belleville Street. Cops on motorcycles with lights flashing, and walking, fell in to provide a professional police escort all the way up Douglas to City Hall at Fisgard, then back.
I stayed put, fraternizing. At quarter after 2:00, the sight of Red and White flags en masse, coming down by the Inner Harbor past the famous Empress Hotel, was thrilling! By 2:30 the marchers were all back, exhilarated, at the peak of a beautiful sunny spring day. The drum circle was soon in full throat. More speakers underscored
“this is not over” . When I left the scene at 3:30, they were warning about Bill 233 : the wording of how communism is supposed to be imposed on Canada. And not a shot is fired
From two sources, I got the story re a bit of drama unfolding afterwards. As planning for the rally had been in the works, for weeks, a guy tried to wrangle use of the WWFR logo for himself. But been thwarted. Somehow he’d found out that the organizer had obtained sanction from the Legislature Protocol officer to use the grounds from noon to 4 pm. He showed up with his own sound system. A minute after 4:00, he cranked it up, venting unhappiness from 100 yards away, personifying the contest going on for moral leadership of the Freedom movement. Such minor irritants are inevitable in the midst of enormous energies swirling around. As my old man used to put it: ” Nothing is so useless it cannot at least be used as a bad example. “
As for world famous Convoy, we are starting to wonder. On the last 3 Saturdays, it was announced from the stage that The Convoy (c) would roll in the following Monday. I’m pessimistic that the BC version of The Bearhug ( c ) has anywhere near the sheer numbers of supporters / vehicles to pull off such a prank. Then again, as Lenin said “decades go by when nothing happens. Then decades happen in a week”.
The lack of moral courage shown by politicians in British Columbia during the SARS2Covid19 nightmare, is one of the ways our institutions failed us. If you can point me to one single exception, please do. The medium IS the message. I was on CHEK tv for one minute, explaining that the defiance swirling around the Legislature precinct, is an attempt by dispossessed people, to convey two years’ accumulated pain to incompetents in power. Horgan Dix and dyspeptic Minister of Misery Farnworth walled-themselves-in behind halfinch Plexiglass / steel security doors at MLA offices, refusing to do the basic duty under the Westminster model of government, i.e. meaningful dialogue with electors. They take their cue from how their confrere in Auto-Wa-Wa Crime Minister Trudeau dealt with authentic complaints, there. Terrified, showing their true colors – void of any grace under pressure – the Non-Democratic Pricks resort to calling in minions in the uniform of the state with loaded guns on hips. The wicked flee when no man pursueth
The boulevard outside the Ministry of Health at 1515 Blanshard Street is a better spot to reach the public, on Wednesdays. I plan to be at the office of saint BonBon Henry at noon. Not abandoning my friends at the Leg. Culture jammers have to take a page out of the handbook for guerrilla war. Being flexible as circumstances change, is crucial
Gordon S Watson
Metchosin British Columbia
checkpoint Charlie set up in your town