Thread by @petersankoff

1/ I'm reading this from the Globe and Mail, and I want to yell "fake news". Let's dissect. theglobeandmail.com/canada/article…

2/ "The Ambassador Bridge shutdown highlighted the impact that only a few determined protesters could have on a crossing that carries hundreds of millions of dollars in goods a day." I think it shows the impact of government/police refusing to take action.

3/ The "few determined protesters" were cleared out by a large police presence (probably 3x what was needed). Despite all the public defiance, there was no violent resistance. Big surprise. Try not giving in to their every whim next time.

4/ Do none of our leaders have kids? This was like a big public tantrum - and they decided to give in, over and over again. Finally a bit of discipline was imposed, and the whole thing ended.

5/ “You had a situation where you had about 200 people holding up the livelihoods and impacting the lives of several hundred thousand people on either side of the border,” the mayor of Windsor said. “The lawlessness had to end.”

6/ That was true days ago. 200 people. FFS. I've seen larger and more aggressive protests by students over closing their resident cafe. You can't paint this as anything more than a complete lack of will, combined with sympathy for the white protesters.

7/ "The mayor said it was time to think about how to prevent subsequent blockades, citing an increased police presence, tougher laws and gates that could be closed to restrict protesters congregating in certain areas as possible solutions."

8/ Now this is just pure stupidity. Increased police presence? For what??? Tougher laws? You didn't use the fucking laws you had! Why should we give you more!! Gates??? No way am I giving you more power to restrict legitimate people from doing legitimate thing.

9/ All this nonsense is turning me into an anti-government sympathizer. Listen. You don't get to completely fuck this up and then say you need more police and more power. Try using the powers you have first. FFS.

10/ "In a statement Sunday afternoon, Mr. Ford called anew on protesters in Ottawa to leave, while praising the Windsor police, Ontario Provincial Police and RCMP officers who worked to clear the Ambassador Bridge."

11/ I can only say this so many times. If you want to know why this went on this long, the answer is IN THE PREMIER'S OFFICE. Praise the police. Sure 200 of them took down 30-40 remaining protestors. And harassed journalists trying to document it. Hooray.

12/ "Elsewhere in the country, blockades continued at border crossings in Coutts, Alta., and Emerson, Man." More kowtowing, political decision making, waste of police resources, white privilege and paralysis caused by government inaction. It's maddening.

13/ "The local police have been criticized for failing to intervene appropriately, including this weekend, by Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair. However, Mr. Watson defended Ottawa police, saying the issue has been “a question of resources.”

14/ In Ottawa - as opposed to Windsor - I do think resources has been an issue AT TIMES (usually on weekends). But this is stupid. Again, an infusion of OPP and some actual will could have started a shutdown here too.

15/ "On Sunday, residents took matters into their own hands, standing in a major street to stop a convoy of trucks from entering Ottawa’s downtown, one of several counterprotests that had been organized in the city in recent days."

16/ Good for them. The irony of this is that the whole stupid convoy started because "protestors" believe they have to take back their country from a bunch of thugs ruining their lives. It's going to end largely because Ottawa residents are starting to do the same.

17/ And ironically again, the convoy has been a huge success. They set out, in part, to convince Canadians that governments did not have society's interests at heart. And that its laws and police forces were causing dissension. They succeeded.

18/ I'll bet that more Canadians have lost faith in government in the past few weeks than at just about any time in our history. A colossal shitshow with very few shining stars. And we're not done yet.

19/ My "fake news" claim was not so much about what was reported, but more about how all of it was portrayed. Government simply cannot be applauded here.