Letters to the Editor March 10

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Vauxhall Advance

Ottawa trucker protests were peaceful

Dear Editor:

I was extremely impressed with the truckers and other protesters who were peacefully protesting in Ottawa.

Yes, they were noisy and caused some inconvenience, but they were always peaceful and the Parliament buildings belong to all Canadians. The protesters kept their cool and did not commit any violence. I feel that the protesters were severely baited by some of the police several times — against women, old men, veterans, and even a person confined to a wheelchair.

Some examples: a woman was run over by horses used by the police. She was severely injured with a broken collar bone and lacerations; a woman was pepper-sprayed in the face;  an older man was pulled from his car, pushed to the pavement, manhandled and then handcuffed;  several Veterans were pushed to the pavement, then kicked when they were down; a man was pulled very roughly out of his wheelchair, then roughed up, and so on. None of these incidents caused the protesters to fight back. Amazing.

After viewing many videos (yes people all have cameras on their phones now) taken by people at the site, I am convinced that the only violence came from the police, not from the protesters. Police are supposed to protect, not bait and harass so as to provoke violence.

These incidents and many more have all been captured by phone videos. I feel that this was deliberate baiting by the police in order to provoke violence so that the Trudeau government could justify the use of the Emergency Measures Act.

I am extremely disappointed that CTV and CBC, along with other media, did not and do not have the fortitude to tell the whole truth at what really happened and what is still happening in Canada.

Journalists should be impartial when reporting the news, not just picking and choosing sides.

Jim Wickenheiser,

Hays