The convoy terrorists have seized control of a part of a highway, but problems with manpower are still continuing.
The foreign funded terrorism group that bills itself as the “Freedom Convoy” is trying to expand their siege of Canada. The terrorists have already have expanded their territory and hijacked the Ambassador Bridge, blocking a major artery of trade between Canada and the United States. Freezenet has been doing what it can to monitor the terrorists online communication networks along with witness accounts to get a clearer picture of their activities.
With the bridge closed, real truckers have been working on finding alternative routs to get critical supplies flowing into Canada. This as major businesses and unions ramp up pressure for provincial and federal governments to put an end to the blockade immediately. While some, including ourselves, figured that this would motivate officials to finally do something about the insurgents trying to destabilize the Canadian economy, little action is still coming from different levels of governments. The overwhelming consensus is that governments don’t want to hurt the terrorists feelings and still feel that it’s a good idea to negotiate with these terrorists.
The terrorists, meanwhile, have alternated their mission. Rather than demand that all mandates be lifted, the terrorists are demanding the overthrowing of the Canadian government, effectively vetoing the will of the Canadian people. In their crazed and fact free demands, they called on the governor general to dissolve government and create a coalition government between themselves, the Conservative Party, Bloc, and NDP. Obviously, their demands will never be met much like their demands that all mandates come to an end simply because they seem to lack even a basic idea of how government works. Naturally, it’s not a surprise given that so much of this is coming from out of country in the first place.
Manpower Problems Continue
The other night, communications obtained by Freezenet suggests that the terrorists have been having difficulty retaining power of the Ambassador Bridge. Police were blocking the roads so that further terrorists were unable to join in and provide the reinforcements the terrorists had been demanding from their colleagues. In the process, there was some confusion as to which lanes were blocked and which were not. An apparent rogue negotiator was frustrating their efforts, confusing some of them who were on the line.
When it was finally determined where the confusion came from, this negotiator sounded like he left the scene. What followed were arguments and finger pointing between the terrorists while others were trying to distance themselves from the decision making that sounded like what was being faulted.
By the next morning, it seemed as though the terrorists were able to regain some control over their captured territory. Reportedly, the terrorists were jumping curbs in an effort to evade the police blockades. By the time media showed up that day, the terrorists were seemingly holding a make-shift hockey game. When journalists tried to get an update, the terrorists loudly honked their horns, mobbed the journalist, and accosted him. While the journalist was able to finish his report, the terrorists were trying to block camera crews shots with Canadian flags. No doubt, the journalist quickly escaped to safety shortly after before the terrorists grew violent.
Another journalist went to a different part of the occupied territory to get reaction that the police were contacting child services regarding the many children the terrorists were using as human meat shields. One terrorist lashed out at the journalist, calling him a satanic demon working for the devil before telling him to “f*** off”.
When the terrorists held a so-called “news conference”, they reportedly ejected CTV from the room to ‘teach them a lesson’ as well. So, obviously, a very difficult scene for reporters to work on. Hopefully, some of them are able to hire private security should they return to enemy territory like that.
Expansion of Terrorist Seized Territory
While it seems that manpower issues are still a major problem for the terrorists – after all, most Canadians and truckers despise what is going on for obvious reasons – it seems that they still want to sow the seeds of chaos. Reports have surfaced that a part of Highway 402, a major highway for trade that is connected to the Bluewater bridge, has been seized by the terrorists. The move expands the terrorists territory and further lays siege to Canadian’s in the area. It is noted that many truckers were using the Bluewater bridge to get around the terrorists blockade. Now, that seems to becoming a less viable option. From the CBC:
Two major southwestern Ontario bridges that are key trade arteries to the U.S. are now tied up due to protests against pandemic mandates.
On Wednesday afternoon, the section of Highway 402 that leads to Sarnia’s Bluewater Bridge was closed, westbound from Nauvoo Road to Oil Heritage Road.
About 20 protesters have made a full stop near Forest Road, with about 15 tractors bearing Canada flags blocking the westbound 402.
The protesters have gathered around parked tractors, portable toilets and agricultural equipment on the highway and in an adjacent farm field.
American media is reporting that trucks are beginning to back up at the Bluewater bridge as a result of this partial blockade. From ClickOnDetroit:
PORT HURON, Mich. – Aerial video from the border of Michigan and Canada shows trucks backed up for miles and miles as they wait to cross the Blue Water Bridge.
On Monday, demonstrations from the Canadian “Freedom Convoy” halted traffic at the Ambassador Bridge. The group is protesting a mandate that requires drivers entering Canada to be fully vaccinated or agree to testing and quarantine protocols.
The backup started around 3 p.m. Monday (Feb. 7) on I-75 at the Ambassador Bridge. Thousands of truckers were left stranded on Detroit roads, with nowhere to go.
The idea for the terrorists is, of course, to try and cut off supplies going into Canada. Some of the terrorists grew frustrated that their low numbers didn’t disrupt the supply chains like they had hoped. Store shelves remained stocked and parts were continuing to flow into the country. So, this change in tactic is an effort to try and make sure that some parts of eastern Canada see supply shortages liked they were originally aiming for. Thanks to “Just in Time” and the way manufacturing works these days, the impacts are now being felt by the working class Canadian. From CTV News:
The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association says production has been impacted at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis due to the ongoing blockade near the Ambassador Bridge.
The blockade along Huron Church Road has been ongoing since Monday, leading to the temporary closure of the bridge, causing such an impact that Stellanis had to shorten shifts at the Windsor Assembly Plant.
“Windsor Assembly Plant had to cut short both shifts Tuesday due to parts shortages as a result of the Ambassador Bridge closure,” a statement from the company said. “However, the plant resumed production Wednesday morning.”
Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy said the plant went home Wednesday at 1 p.m., “so we already know there are supply chain issues.”
While Cassidy believes people have the right to protest, he worries that local economy could be significantly affected.
“When we shut down Windsor Assembly Plant and we’re down at Windsor Assembly Plant, that affects 10,000 jobs. Just that one facility,” he said.
In the grand delusion of the minds of the terrorists, they think that this will make Canadians blame the Canadian government and force them to give in to the terrorists demands. The actual impact is that more Canadians are losing hours, getting less pay, and they all know that it’s the fault of the convoy throwing a massive temper tantrum. So, Canadian’s know who the blame rests on that.
Terrorists Talk Movement
Of course, one thing that is worth noting is the fact that only 20 terrorists showed up with their 15 agricultural tractors to partially block off the highway. You might actually expect around 100 terrorists to be there if there weren’t really manpower issues at play. Still, it is telling that they didn’t simply hijack the bridge itself in the process. 20 people might not be enough to successfully pull something like this off, so it seems that they are trying to conserve the manpower that is already being stretched thin as it is.
Back over on the internal communications front, it seems that the terrorists are making even more enemies as we speak. One organizer described the police as jackbooted thugs as impatience grow that police are not as on their side as they wanted. This despite the largely hands off approach they have been taking for the last two weeks, seemingly siding with the terrorists occupation in the process – at least in the eyes of Canadians.
Some on the inside are suggesting that they move their convoy to Toronto so that police would be more friendly there (they won’t). The reasoning also seems to be that torturing the citizens wasn’t having the desired effect that they were hoping (that citizens would magically jump on board to their cause after being victimized by their many crimes in the area). It’s unclear if they are serious about this as some think this whole idea is just a bluff.
Growing Friction Between the Terrorists and Doug Ford
Another angle of this effort to show up to Toronto to express anger at perceived ally, provincial premier, Doug Ford. Ford has been on the receiving end of backlash from the public due to lack of movement in resolving these issues. Some theorize that so much of his voting base is part of the convoy and, as such, is having no problem with their criminal activities lest he loses votes in the process. The terrorists, however, have a different view of him.
According to some communications heard by Freezenet, some of the terrorists have described Ford’s actions as “very disappointing”. As such, they are wanting to target the premier and start issuing demands. On the other side of the equation, it seems that Ford is actually starting to lose patience with the terrorists. Ford called the occupation of the Ambassador Bridge “illegal”. From the CBC:
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling for an end to ongoing protests against pandemic mandates that have blocked and prevented the free flow of traffic on the Ambassador Bridge, a key commercial link between Windsor and Michigan.
In a statement Wednesday, Ford said the “illegal occupation and blockade happening in Ontario must stop.”
The protest is now well into its third day. It continues as protests are spreading to other parts of Canada.
“The Ambassador Bridge is one of the most vital trade corridors in our country,” Ford said. “The damage this is causing to our economy, to people’s jobs and their livelihoods is totally unacceptable. We cannot let this continue.”
Of course, for Canadian’s, while the idea of a rift forming between Ford and the terrorists might be a welcome sight, many know that this is just more words. For many Canadian’s, words are just not enough and have been demanding action for over a week now.
In Alberta, police apparently issued a cease and desist order at the Coutt’s border crossing. The order said that the terrorists had one hour to leave before action is taken. Reports indicate that, so far, no action was taken and the crossing continues to remain closed. There is news that Alberta, to the dismay of health officials, is lifting some of the health restrictions. Medical experts describe the move as far too hasty, but the Alberta premier is apparently moving ahead anyway. The terrorists in Alberta, however. say that the moves do not go far enough and say they intend on staying anyway.
Developments in British Columbia
BC Premier, John Horgan, meanwhile, seems to be showing some backbone. He said that he won’t be lifting health restrictions as demanded by the terrorists. From CTV:
The B.C. government won’t determine public health policy based on the demands of a “handful of protesters,” Premier John Horgan said Tuesday as some provinces prepare to ditch vaccine passport requirements.
Health officials have already suggested B.C.’s COVID-19 restrictions will be changing by Family Day – less than two weeks from now – but have not made any specific promises, and Horgan has repeatedly declined to speculate.
“We’re going to follow the same path that we have been on since the pandemic began, and that is to take advice and council from public health officials,” the premier said at a news conference in Victoria.
So, while Saskatchewan and Alberta seem to be surrendering to some of the demands of the terrorists, BC is holding firm.
Private Companies Respond
Another aspect currently working against the terrorist is the fact that more and more truckers caught in the convoy are getting fired by the companies that employed them. Some businesses are also creating blacklists of truckers and businesses that are aiding and abetting the terrorists activities. some have called for the terrorists to have the truckers drivers licenses revoked, it seems that businesses are starting to take action for Canadians. In one incident, a truck driver, decked out in oversized Canadian flags, was seen deliberately hitting a counter-protester. The company that owned the rig told the media that the driver in question has been fired for his actions.
Other actions Freezenet has seen from the businesses is that some of the owners have told employees that if they see one of their drivers or their trucks in the occupied territories held by the terrorists, they would immediately fire the employee in question. So, some good news on that front.
Eye-Witness Reports on the Ground
Meanwhile, eyewitness accounts are suggesting that the roads and commutes are actually improving. Chances are, this is tied to the thinning out manpower as the terrorists try to seize more and more territory and cut off supply routs going into Ottawa. Some are wondering, of course, what is happening and this, of course, all ties back to the manpower problems we’ve been talking about.
Other eyewitness accounts have mixed reports on the policing situation. On the one hand, there are reports of police officers socializing in large groups as terrorists walk by with BBQ gas canisters. As the terrorists walked by, no effort was made to enforce the law and seize the fuel. On the other hand, there are reports that bonfires being ignited on the city streets are being put out by officials. So, there is enforcement in some cases, but not in others that we could tell.
The Convoy’s Push to Expand into the US
While so much of this story is seemingly largely tied to what is going on in Canada, it seems that there is some movement going on in the US. Propaganda seen by Freezenet suggests that the far right in the US is trying to start their own terrorist initiatives. The information is declaring March 1st as the day that they are starting their own “Freedom Convoy”. Right wing propaganda outlet, Fox News, is reportedly pushing hard to rile up their viewers and make this happen. Given how much money is flowing from the US in the first place, it’s not that far fetched that this could happen.
Earlier, the White House has simply been monitoring the situation, but not saying much. The only comments we heard was that the US was in communication with Canada, but nothing more was said that we are aware of.
One rumour that Freezenet is aware of is that the terrorists are aiming to shut down the Super Bowl. American’s mocked the idea, saying that this would never happen. On the one hand, that does seem rather far-fetched. On the other hand, the idea that the terrorists would seize major Canadian infrastructure, gradually making the siege of the Canada’s capital more and more likely to be successful also sounds far fetched, yet it’s happening as we write this. This is mainly thanks to police seemingly not willing to take action to enforce the law.
One thing that is well known about police in the US is the fact that the police have a huge reputation of being sympathetic to right wing ideology and terroristic tendencies. In fact, in demonstrations by right wing groups, many “demonstrators” were openly brandishing firearms and police seemed to be nowhere in sight. This despite the riot police having no problem showing up with rubber bullets and tear gas whenever a left leaning cause even thinks about holding a demonstration for something as basic as not killing people indiscriminately.
Hopefully, this really is a big bluff and that March 1st will come and go without anything in particular happening. At the same time, it’s not exactly easy to dismiss these ideas as “never going to happen” either. Either way, it seems that terrorists close to three weeks worth of warning, so we’ll see how the US responds (if they even bother preparing for another possible insurrection). If I were to advise the US, I would recommend to, at minimum, be monitoring their communications and preparing accordingly. Not that American officials would bother reading this in the first place even if such a recommendation turned out to be the correct line of action.
So, at the end of the day, we are seeing a lot of words from officials, but action still seems to be, at best, a rare sight to see. Because of law enforcement inaction, the terrorists have become emboldened and seized more territory, furthering their siege of Canada. Manpower issues are continuing to be a problem, but with so little resistance and notice papers that lead to no action, the terrorists seem to know that they can stretch further out far more than they should. No doubt they are still trying to work on reinforcements behind the scenes and plot their next move to further seize Canadian territory.
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Facebook.
