1. Well it looks like the "Rolling Thunder" event turned into exactly what it was expected to have been, though the participants have been met with a much different police response.
So let's get started.
2. You'll remember that there was a controversy about Holocaust denier Chris Saccoccia's (aka Chris Sky) involvement.
3. Well he is currently in Ottawa and, despite his claims that the police were totally on side, he seems a bit upset.
4.
5. At least some of the comments left appear to encourage violence in response.
6. Alex Vriend of Diagolon, a fixture at the #OttawaOccupation in February, is likely in Alberta and commenting from the comfort of his couch.
7. Far-right pseudo-journalist Leigh Stewart is also present providing play by play accounts of the oppression of mostly white middle aged men demanding freedom that they never lost but seem damned determined to whine about.
8.
9. She notes that the "Rolling Thunder" organizers have appeared to disavow the events currently taking place in Ottawa which perhaps has as much credibility as the claim Chris Sky wasn't involved despite being named as a speaker on their poster on their own website.
10. In a comment on this post, someone appears to encourage the targeting of police officers' families.
11. Of some interest it appears Jim Kerr (Church of Bubbles) has been taken into custody.
12. Kerr was another mainstay at the #OttawaOccupation in February providing a lot of video that I featured in my Twitter threads.
I'm currently downloading the video that he took of his own arrest, in the meantime here is one that Stewart posted.
13. In the meantime, Kerr has since been released.
14. @StephanieCarvin has an excellent thread on the arrest and what it precipitated.
15. Anyways, Kerr first states that he was worried that he would suffer the same fate as Pat King, then provides his own details concerning his arrest.
16. After getting distracted he talks about how the police are being aggressive and that "antifa" is on the prowl... though he can't define antifa other than people who are "against them."
So, that would be what then? About 85% of Ottawa then?
17. Kerr and company then head to the Hill and the eternal flame while he waxes poetically about how to stop politicians from lying and then chanting "freedom" because of course he does.
18. Kerr arrives and is treated as a conquering hero as he shares his ordeal.
As an aside, why does it look like the would-be occupiers seem like they are the types who would roast marshmallows on the eternal flame?
19. Kerr seems convinced that a police officer slipped a $20 into his pocket. He then goes on to talk to a young woman who also claims to have been arrested and released.
20. Cue the obnoxious screaming of "freedom!" from the crowd.
21. You people know that @deesnider thinks that you are all idiots, right?
22. Kerr continues to tell his story, which to my mind seems to be embellished with every telling, of the police officer he didn't see but who he is certain gave him $20.
23. Diagolon's Alex Vriend, still posting from the comfort of his apartment in Calgary in what I would imagine are pjs covered ripple chip crumbs, continues to be thirsty.
24. Well, it looks like we have a new colourful character.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet... sigh... you're going to make me do this, aren't you?
Meet "Mr. Freedom" whose look is one part Grizzly Adams and one part Michael Hayes from the Fabulous Freebirds.
Kids, ask your parents.
25. So this dude was present when the police pushed back the crowd that was trying to set up an occupation by accounts of people I've listened to.
And apparently, the police "beat up" old ladies.
26. Later when he was back where he was staying the story was the police were much smarter and forced #OttawaOccupiers to be aggressive in order to do... something.
Really, it is sort of galaxy brain stuff going on here.
27. And of course people commenting are oblivious to how angry people in Ottawa are by this disruption.
28. As an aside, a reminder that the Ottawa Occupation inspired an American movement. And here is someone in an American convoy shooting what appears to be a handgun today on the highway.
Just thought I'd share for no reason in particular.
1. So while I can guarantee that I had a better time today than the "Rolling Thunder" crowd did (despite what they may believe) I thought it might be useful to provide a bit of a summary of the day's events in Ottawa.
3. I usually head to the usual suspects when I cover these stories and one of those people i look at is Kim Kerr who was also a participant in the February #OttawaOccupation.
2. The key figure behind this event is Neil Sheard, a man who claims to have served 12 years in the CAF. Here on March 26 he said that if people in Ottawa thought the trucker rally was loud, wait until 1000s of motorcycles arrive.
3. Now sadly Goudreau isn't in custody and he continues to be active on his Telegram pages denying the charge while also referring to my fellow board member as a scumbag and writing "I can't wait to find out who sent Warman these lies" which seems, at least to me, to be a threat.
1. A couple of weeks ago I published a thread concerning the rhetoric of Marcus Ray (real name Mark Chilcott). It received a lot of attention at the time and the situation has appeared to have escalated... sort of.
2. Another video has been floating around of one of Marcs Ray's followers who is convinced that "patriots" will soon be gathering en mass and "taking back" BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
3. The TikTok channel with was found at has been deleted but a friend managed to get screen shots of some of the comments.
Despite Marcus Ray's claims their event will be peaceful is seems clear that his supporters believe there will be violence.
1. When the convoy organizers were arrested, the participants went home, and the #OttawaOccupation ended, a lot of people decided that the crisis was over and they moved on to other concerns.
In fact the people who were radicalized and motivated by the convoy are still active.
2. In communities across the country and despite mandates ending (we can argue about whether this is justified), the same rage based in large part on misinformation continues to fuel slow rolls, protests, and harassment campaigns.
3. Among the people still agitating are people like Chris Saccoccia (aka Chris Sky) who, having found a credulous audience who doesn't mind his frequent verbal abuse directed at them, continues to gin up fear and anger for his own aggrandizement as well as for fun and profit.
1. Today @antihateca published this story by @misterEpete which is probably one of the best investigative and undercover journalistic efforts I have ever had the fortune to witness.
3. The story in many ways has its origins during the summer of 2019 when Pegida held another of their hate rallies which resulted in a major incident at the Eaton's Centre.