Back Story Newsletter
Good morning,
Canada Truckers
Who thought Canada might become the symbol for anti-vaxxers and aggrieved anti government protests? Is this freedom?
The NYTimes wrote today;
“At their worst, demonstrators have urinated on the National War Memorial and danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. But despite the lack of widespread violence, a diverce alliance of outraged citizens — from Confederate flag wavers to dancing libertarian hipsters — appear to share common purpose: shutting down the Canadian capital on a quest to end vaccine mandates.”
The absence of widespread violence in Ottawa also does not mean residents of the Canadian capital don’t feel threatened. And their freedom has been taken away.
“They’re also seeing the images that we’re all seeing, of very right-wing extremist messages: the flags that display the swastika, Confederate flags, images of a prime minister being lynched,” Catherine McKenney, an Ottawa councillor, told the Canadian Globe and Mail. “I’m not sure that I would continue to call this peaceful.”
The protests have outraged many Canadians, who overall have abided by vaccines mandates and mask wearing, to keep Canada from recording high numbers of Covid deaths as seen across the border in America.
And the inability of Ottawa police to end the protests has frustrated residents who want it all to end, but after 11days is even escalated with when demonstrators blocked traffic on the Ambassador Bridge that links Detroit and the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario, preventing other motorists from passing.
The protests are not just about vaccine restrictions, but have become a lightning rod for people “pissed off” as they say, about everything from politics to inflation and fuel prices.
Experts say there are links to far right extremists and white supremacists in the U.S. which include financial contributions and organizational help.
And just like the Jan. 6 riot on the Capitol in Washington, the police will pursue those who are at the core of this later, with arrests and prosecutions. Already there are dozens of arrests and criminal cases filed.
The protests in Canada have inspired copycat protests in Australia and New Zealand and there are warnings a similar protest may soon take place in the U.S. ***
On Back Story Podcast later this week I will feature a Canadian journalist and a discussion on Canada’s truck protests and parallels with extremism in the U.S.
Chief Peter Sloly told a briefing.
He said there was evidence of "a significant element from the United States in the funding and organising" of the protest.
The Canadian province of Alberta announced on Tuesday that some of its Covid restrictions - including its controversial vaccine passport - would be lifted from midnight. (Saskatchewan will do the same by mid month).
Masking requirements for school students will also end from Monday, and children under 12 will be exempt from all mask mandates.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney denied the move was a response to the trucker protests.
Ukraine Crisis
French President Macron has been to Moscow and Kyiv attempting to “freeze the conflict” and move forward with discussions to calm tensions.
He claims President Putin told him Russia will not be the source of escalation, which seems hollow given the military drills on Ukraines borders and in Belarus.
Macron met with Ukraines Zelensky who said he hoped separate talks of high-ranking officials in Berlin on Thursday could pave the way for a summit with the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany aimed at reviving the stalled peace plan for Kyiv's conflict with Moscow-backed separatists.
EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell was cautiously optimistic, saying Macron's visit to Moscow brought "an element of detente" but "has not produced a miracle".
What is Macron proposing on NATO Putins demands that it return to 1997 arrangements in East Europe? Likely nothing because NATO won’t ask any country to leave. It may be troop deployments are up for discussion?
On Ukraine’s wish to join NATO, it’s possible Putin has been told it won’t likely happen for a decade or more. But the break away regions in Eastern Ukraine are the real problem for now, which are incredibly hard to wallpaper over in discussions, because Ukraine won’t give up those areas to Russia which has helped to sow discontent and fuel fighting.
And Putin believes Ukraine is now being run by Western powers, calling it “the project” of foreign nations including the U.S.
Germany is hosting France, and Poland in Berlin today for discussions hoping for peace but warning of war;
"The leaders call on Russia to de-escalate the situation at the Ukrainian border and engage in a meaningful dialogue on security on the European continent," the German government said in a statement. "They underscore that any further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have massive consequences and severe costs."
Other News…
-West Ham defender Kurt Zouma has apologised after a disturbing video surfaced online of him kicking and slapping a cat, with his club publicly condemning the footage and vowing to deal with the matter. He was booed at the match last night and police are investigating cruelty to animals
-Syrian state media reported an alleged Israeli airstrike near Damascus on Tuesday night. The IDF confirmed that an anti-aircraft missile fired from Syria set off the sirens and that the missile exploded mid-air
-Stolen Bitcoin worth more than $5bn has been seized by the US Department of Justice. Officials also arrested and charged two people on Tuesday with attempting to launder the money, which amounts to nearly 120,000 Bitcoin. The funds, stolen by a hacker who breached a cryptocurrency exchange in 2016, were valued at about $71m.
That’s a quick look at your Wednesday morning! Please subscribe to this newsletter. It’s free. But you can choose to pay for the newsletter to help support my journalism!
Dana
https://news.sky.com/story/kurt-zouma-booed-during-premier-league-match-after-horrific-video-of-defender-kicking-cat-emerges-12536709
https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-crisis-our-goal-is-to-avoid-a-war-in-europe-says-germanys-scholz/a-60705306
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/08/macron-sees-path-to-calm-russia-tensions-after-ukraine-push-a76302
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/08/world/canada-trucker-protest#protests-in-canada-inspire-copycat-convoys-in-australia-and-new-zealand