Thread by @MikeDucharme

For #ottawa residents trying to figure out what’s going on, a video thread into the ongoing planning, operations and messaging of the convoy. All clips are from Monday. I held off since I didn’t want to help spread their requests for support and calls to action in real-time. 1/30

Starting with this well-known organizer explaining communication and logistics between truckers while using the Holiday Inn as their shower/staging ground. 2/30

“This is so much fun, I’m having the time of my life”. He describes how they were able to sneak 80 more trucks into the core overnight on Saturday. City and Ottawa Police should be able to either confirm or deny that this occurred this since there are traffic cameras. 3/30

One base camp was at 302 Coventry, more coordination and directions. Going out to “secure” the area with instructions to hold the line and make sure to honk on the half-hour for 10 minutes. 4/30

Another organizer working on getting supplies to truckers at Metcalfe and Slater. “The police haven’t been helping up at all”. 5/30

@TimHortons at 171 Slater where they gathered indoors, unmasked. I’m not blaming the store or staff - if the police won’t enforce any regulations due to “fear of violence” then how do they expect employees to? This is not unique to this store. 6/30

He drives to another staging ground at confederation square to drop off food. Meets someone who is angry about something. “What the fuck, <unintelligible>”. “Shh, I’m live”. “Hello, good sir”. They have someone coordinating with security, fire and police from this location. 7/30

More interactions with supporters. Calls to action to help the truckers: “Let’s keep this same momentum going. We’ve got to tear up those masks, tear up the vaccine passports, tear those signs down off of every store”. 8/30

Camera handed off to someone else. It’s clear trucker morale is low but they're trying to boost spirits to keep the convoy going. “We’re going to be mobilizing” and “The party is about to start”. Not sure how much of it is cope vs hope or actual plans. 9/30

Another call for gas cans to 140 Slater, the Arc Hotel, which is clearly another staging ground. The hotel is mentioned multiple times across these streams. 10/30

More calls for cans to be brought to the Arc hotel. More meet and greets with other organizers. 11/30

People discussing details of where they came from adding: “There’s more coming. There’s a lot more coming”. “Our whole country is going to come if this SOB guy (Trudeau) doesn’t get out.” Some want resignations from officials, not just mandate restrictions lifted. 12/30

Switching streams, this trucker seems stranded and “then #antifa showed up.” 🙄 “Showed up with a sledgehammer and tried to attack vehicles with it and truckers had to remove him”. There's obviously a lot of misinformation being spread. 13/30

Another difficult interaction between convoy members and police. Police are clearly weighing EVERY interaction carefully at this point . “Are you finding this is mostly a peaceful protest”? One officer nods. “You guys stand behind the truckers”? “We’re standing”. 14/30

Conspiracy theories are common in this convoy. I won’t quote any of this garbage. It’s the common laundry list of anti-science, anti-government nonsense. 15/30

One non-convoy video since the “reporter” here talked to other people and Trudeau’s half-brother was mentioned. For those thinking Canadians are immune to American-style conspiracy media, i provide without context: 16/30

A common theme seems to be that the older, non-media adjacent truckers in the convoy feel bamboozled with the promises of the gofundme, leaders and supporters. 17/30

More calls to action from supporters in the street. “The more people we have here the better it is and the sooner they have to drop the mandates”. 18/30

A different streamer talking about moving snow if necessary and excited about sticking around longer. 19/30

Comparisons of health mandates to nazi Germany. 20/30

Horns still blazing into the evening as residents go into another another work night of disrupted sleeping. 21/30

This trucker claims to have their own @gofundme account and has enough to stick around. The camera person is walking around offering people $50 dollar bills out of pocket to stay. 22/30

Not sure if this is just be propaganda for the audience stating that "the rest of them are still waiting outside the city" and that "they haven't even touched the gofundme". 23/30

Some messages from another streamer: “Now it’s serious time to try and get the government to listen and negotiate.” To #ottawa residents: “We’re not trying to stop people from working, that’s what the government is doing. 24/30

Claims that “80% (of truckers) out scattered around different areas and highways trying to get in”. I've heard this claim several times but it either wasn't true or they have changed their minds about entering the city. 25/30

Another aggravating comment about resident support “The vast, vast majority (of #Ottawa residents) are in favour of what’s going on. I get one negative person here or there, I think I’ve seen two personally but you know, they’re grumpy.” You’re god damn right we’re grumpy. 26/30

As evening sets in, public drinking continues. I’ve seen open drinking in public even in the afternoon among protesters. I won't post what I think he said before the camera man responds “No, the police are good, they’re good” since it's muffled but it sounds... bad. #bylaw 27/30

They’re still excited, even the driver is having fun revving the gas and honking his horn. Careful not to spill your beer as you rock back and forth while operating a motor vehicle! #nolaw 28/30

Wrapping up with a clip I posted Monday that pissed me off: “The people that live here that are out here every night givin’er and wanting the airhorns” and “fuck you guys”. So, specifically fuck this guy. 29/30

That covers just some of the events in Ottawa from around 3pm-11pm on Monday. I obviously have a bias here but my motivation is to show local residents some of the on the street actions and messaging of these protesters to be informed. Stay safe. #OttawaStrong. 30/30

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