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Jan 27 • 8 tweets • 6 min read
A year ago, I stepped out of my home in Ottawa to check out a protest unfolding in my part of town. Little did I know the #FreedomConvoy protests would go down as one of the greatest cultural moments in Canada's history, inspire the world,and that it would change my life forever. Image
I expected #FreedomConvoy protests to be your garden variety protest on the hill with a couple of hundred people at the most. Would end that day. I'd heard from the legacy media that they were racists and we should be afraid. I went with an open mind and am glad I did. ImageImageImage
These were the very first images of the trucks I saw on the evening of the 27th from my perch, driving around and honking. What's the big deal, right? I get on to Rideau street first thing in the morning on the 28th and this is what awaits me.I hadn't seen anything quite like it. ImageImageImageImage
My first tweet about the Freedom Convoy made some "liberals" queasy to say the least. They pushed back hard saying people of colour would never support a movement such as this. Jagmeet Singh's brother gave money to the convoy. LMAO.
After a full day of walking around, what I saw and experienced was completely at odds with what was being said by the establishment. Alternate reality. I started pushing back knowing full well I'd be ostracized myself. Glad I did.
I kept pushing back. There was a concerted effort underway especially by those who weren't even at the protests to dehumanize them. Wish more had checked it out for themselves instead of relying on legacy media. They would have seen things differently.
The protests were truly Canadian. They remained peaceful and loving throughout. I was there till the end. As the cops pushed back, the protesters responded by saying: “We love you, don’t do this. We don't want to hurt you". Many of the cops had tears rolling down their cheeks. ImageImageImage
The amazing @bariweiss suggested I write about the protests for @TheFP .With the help of my brilliant editor @petersavodnik ,I had no idea this story featuring @just_dan_thingz incredibly evocative photos would come to define the #FreedomConvoy protests. thefp.com/p/what-the-tru…

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More from @rupasubramanya

Rupa Subramanya Profile picture
Nov 4, 2022
Brendan Miller, lawyer for the convoy: "Not a single witness alleged to have suffered violence at the hands of the protestors that the protestors are being collectively blamed for has been presented to the inquiry". Exactly. #POEC
Ottawa Coalition lawyer argues lack of evidence that witnesses suffered violence at the hands of the protesters doesn't mean it didn't happen.
"Lack of evidence doesn't mean you can't infer it didn't happen." What kind of a kangaroo court is this?Are we in North Korea?🤡 #POEC
Lawyers for the police (OPS, OPP) desperate attempts to keep videos out of the hearing of alleged police brutality and witnesses who can attest to that have failed. Commissioner allows more evidence and witnesses. #POEC
Read 15 tweets
Rupa Subramanya Profile picture
Nov 3, 2022
Tamara Lich:"I was frustrated by the mandates.Families were being torn apart.Many suicides in my hometown. Elderly were dying by themselves. I was becoming increasingly alarmed with my PM saying I was racist and that I shouldn't be tolerated. I found his rhetoric divisive." #POEC
Tamara Lich says initial target was to raise $100,000. Barber had suggested $200,000. She felt this would be impossible to raise. As it turned out, they managed to raise through Go Fund Me nearly $8 million in less than 10 days. #POEC.
Lich: "I have the tears of thousands of Canadians on my shoulder who told me every day that we were bringing them hope." #POEC
Read 5 tweets
Rupa Subramanya Profile picture
Nov 3, 2022
James Bauder: "We already won by coming here in unity. The MoU meant nothing". #POEC
Bauder: "Every other opportunity to talk to this government had failed".
Paul Champ, lawyer for Ottawa residents coalition and Zexi Li: "That's right". 🤡🔨 #POEC
Paul Champ, the lawyer, asks Convoy organizer, Bauder "Were your rights more important than the rights of businesses and residents of Ottawa". Loaded question. Everyone's rights are protected under the constitution. It's not either or. #POEC
Read 7 tweets
Rupa Subramanya Profile picture
Nov 2, 2022
"You agree hate speech has been codified in the criminal code, right?"
"@ikwilson : Yes I find the PM's hate speech towards the unvaccinated and saying how do we deal with these people deeply troubling". Boom. #POEC
"What do you think was the goal of the Freedom Convoy"?
Pat King: "To go and protest, to exercise your democratic right, to be heard by politicians..." #POEC
At the public inquiry, noteworthy that the only two people in the room masked are the legal counsel for Zexi Li. Recall, her lawyer also has a "tax the rich" label on his laptop.🙂 #POEC
Read 15 tweets
Rupa Subramanya Profile picture
Nov 1, 2022
Chris Barber, Freedom Convoy organizer: "Parking all over the city on the main streets was never our plan. Our plan was to use Majors Hill and Confederate Parks as staging areas." #POEC
The WEF and Finance Minister and Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland sitting on its advisory board makes its way into the public inquiry into the Emergencies Act. Recall, this is where you read it first. 🙂 #POEC nationalpost.com/opinion/rupa-s…
Also see here.
Read 4 tweets
Rupa Subramanya Profile picture
Oct 24, 2022
OPS intell assessment, Jan 28: "Freedom Convoy is less of a professional protest with the usual sad players but rather a truly organic grassroots movement gathering momentum largely from the widespread population."So much for it being orchestrated by Putin, Trump, etc. #POEC
Bell: "What was known the day before (Jan 27), we were starting to get numbers of trucks etc.The overall activity of the group moving across was extremely lawful, extremely law abiding."

Bear in mind the media was at this point calling them violent insurrectionists. #POEC
OPS intelligence assessment (Jan 28): "There is significant popular support for this event [Freedom Convoy] on a scale not seen in recent years. " So much for Trudeau's "fringe minority". #POEC
Read 10 tweets

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