ABC, NBC Bemoan ‘Insurrectionist’ Freedom Convoy ‘Occupying’ Ottawa

ABC and NBC continued their kvetching Monday over the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, Canada and their massive crowds protesting the socialist country’s coronavirus vaccine mandate in order to cross the U.S./Canada border to deliver goods that keep our economies running. 

ABC World News TonightAnchor David Muir started the segment complaining about “hundreds of trucks part of the freedom truck convoy, they say, bringing the government center to a standstill. Tonight, protests are spreading towards the U.S. border. Long lines of semi’s at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit now.” 

Muir turned then to Trevor Ault, a correspondent for the Freedom Convoy. Ault, like Muir was concerned about the spread of the convoy.  “Police chief says his city has been under siege. The protests are being called a nationwide rebellion as solidarity demonstrations spring up in Canada and Alaska.Ault warned.The protests are also supported worldwide by sympathizers, which includes the United States.”

More on NBC Nightly NewsMiguel Almaguer, Miguel Almaguer’s national correspondent, lamented that “the movement is being called an insurrection by some, paralyzing the Canadian capitol.”  

Almaguer continued to lament that “with reports of protests turning violent, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau says there’s no plan, for now, to call in the military to clear the streets.” Almaguer ironically called the convoy an “anonymous” later, referring to the effect the protests had on the capital. “unprecedented occupation.” 

It’s a safe bet you didn’t hear this type of language in the summer of 2020 during the networks’ coverage of the actual occupation in downtown Seattle, Washington in the form of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) where multiple people were killed and businesses were being extorted.

This is the latest example of the leftist coverage of the freedom caravan on television. Liberty MutualFidelity, ABC and NBC. They are linked.  

Click expand to see the transcripts for each segment. 

ABC’s World News Tonight
02/07/2022
6.36.40 pm

DAVIDMUIR : Meanwhile, we will be turning north at the border tonight. This is a developing scene, and it also marks the emergence of the emergency situation in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. All restrictions on Covid are being protested in the wake of growing protests over truck driver vaccination mandates. They say that the protests by hundreds of truck drivers are part of the freedom truck convoy which brought the government to a complete halt. Tonight, protests are spreading towards the U.S. Border. Long lines of semi’s at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit now. ABC’s Trevor Ault is from Ottawa.

TREVORAULT: Today, Canada’s trucker protests are now reaching the US border. Video of the semi-truck drivers lining up at Detroit’s Ambassador Bridge. Officials claim that protestors were slowing down border wait times. The protest comes just 11 days after Canada’s capital was crippled by demonstrations. Ottawa is clogged by hundreds of trucks and thousands upon thousands of protestors. This so-called freedom congy was first formed to protest a mandate that truck drivers be vaccinated in order to cross over the border. Now, they are calling for the end of all Covid restrictions. There is always noise here. They will be heard.  

UNIDENTIFIED TRUCK DRIVER: We’ve been here since last Saturday. 

AULT – Last Saturday? 

Unidentified Truck Driver: Yes. 

AULT – Just stay in the truck  

Yup.

AULT: How long do you think you’ll be out here?

Unidentified Truck Driver: Until Something Happens.

AULT – Officials are declaring a State of Emergency, citing the destruction of national monuments, as well as some demonstrations that display hate symbols.

POLICECHIEF PETERSLOLY: There are officers in my area who work with them. Both they and their children are unable to go to bed at night. Both they and their children were unable to get to school.

AULT – The chief of police in the city said his city was under siege and called the demonstrations an insurrection. As solidarity protests rise across Canada as well as Alaska, the police chief claimed that there is a general insurrection. The protests have been supported worldwide by sympathizers including the United States. There are more than 100,000 supporters trying to finance the protests. Now, a GoFundMe page worth millions of dollars has been taken down. According to the company, it was necessary to refund funds raised due to increased reports of violence or other illegal activity. 

And David, as those the demonstrators are now near Detroit on the ambassador bridge, the busiest land crossing in North America,  a lot of anti-vaccine, anti-mandate sympathizers want to use this as a blueprint and there’s already some evidence of potential plans for similar demonstrations in Europe and in Washington, D.C. David?

NBC Nightly News
02/07/2022
7:09:30 Pm

LESTER HOLTL: A major Canadian vaccine protest could be a factor in Canada. There were more than 1000 truckers protesting the requirement that vaccines be required to enter the U.S. Their big trucks were used to prove their point. Miguel Almaguer.

MIGUEL ALMAGUER – The loud, ear-piercing protest is resounding along the streets of Toronto with large trucks as the demonstrators call for an end to Canada’s mandated vaccine requirement that truckers cross the border between the U.S. and Canada. The freedom convoy is sometimes called insurrection and paralyzes Toronto.  

PROTESTER: No one’s here to hurt anything. We are just there to be heard.

ALMAGUER: Only 10% of international truckers in Canada are vaccinated, according to the Canadian trucking alliance. Protesters were disappointed to hear that one funding source was cut after GoFundMe announced they would return $9 million for donations related to illegal activity.

POLICY CHIEF PETER SLOLLY: In our enforcement and operations, we are turning up heat.

ALMAGUER – Today, a Canadian judge issued an injunction prohibiting the incessant honking of diesel fumes that frustrate both residents and shopowners. 

SARAH CHOWN, RESTAURANT OWNER: It is difficult to breathe. After an hour you can’t even hear your brain, and the headaches are excruciating.

ALMAGUER: After an 11-day long protest, the state of emergency was declared. Large parts of the city were engulfed in gridlock. Now, the mayor is asking for 2000 additional officers.

OTTAWA MAYOR JIM WATSON: The initial peaceful demonstration has turned into a siege in our downtown.

ALMAGUER: With reports of protests turning violent, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau says there’s no plan, for now, to call in the military to clear the streets.

PROTESTER: These mandates will be ended, and these lockdowns will also be stopped. 

ALMAGUER: Sarah Chown is gone from her restaurant. Ottawa’s unprecedented occupation has taken a grip on the economy.

CHOWN – People struggle to pay their bills and rent. They’re begging to come in for work, but there’s simply no work to be had right now.

ALMAGUER – The White House claims that the disruption in Canada’s supply chains has not affected our fragile U.S. supply chain. This could be changing soon. Lester?