'Freedom convoy' protests countered in Montreal

Montreal saw a day of protests and counter-protests Saturday as the weekend of demonstrations continued in cities throughout Canada.

As a few hundred "Freedom Convoy' protesters gathered in a Montreal Park they were met with police lines and a small number of counter protesters objecting to the anti-vaccine demonstrators.

The Quebec Pro Choix group was among those that organized the "Unis Dans L'Amour Pour La Liberte" (United in Love for Freedom) gathering and march at Jarry Park in solidarity with the Ottawa trucker convoy, following the Quebec City convoy last weekend.

To counter that protest, No Borders Media and Parc-ex/Villeray inclusifs staged an "Anti-racist mobilization against the far right" protest at the same park opposed to the above protest and supporters of the 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa.

"We understand their frustration. But the leaders of this movement are known racists, fascists, Islamophobes," one counter protester said.

"We get it, but it is not by associating yourself with the extreme right that you are going to win."

Another counter protester Leila Marshy said," This is about occupying, occupying cities, occupying Ottawa. It's not about working within democratic institutions that we have in place. It's about laying siege."

While the protesters are decrying vaccine mandates for truckers and other COVID-19 restrictions, many of Canada's infection measures, such as mask rules and vaccine passports for getting into restaurants and theaters, are already falling away as the omicron surge levels off.

IMAGE: AP/Representative