Since Friday January 27th, the citizens of Ottawa have had to deal with a large, yet fringe group of protesters who claim they are protesting for truckers’ rights against vaccine mandates.  In reality, these “patriots” have expressed hatred through the display of Swastikas, physical abuse and stolen food from the most vulnerable in our city, disrespect/desecration of national monuments, and intimidation towards locals living and working in the downtown core.

These “patriots” feel they are empowered because they are sitting on (last count) $9,898,730 in support.  As one of the organizers stated at a “press conference” on January 28th, regarding fuel and timelines: “[trucks] can sit there for weeks and months.  Uhhhh, and I don’t know, we have what, 8 million dollars?”  To which another organizer smugly replied: “Uhhhh, 8 it’s probably over 8.5 million now”.

Like the Canadian streets these “patriots” urinate and defecate on, this movement is polluted.  We are citizens of Ottawa.  We have had enough.  This 8, or 9, or 10 million dollar fundraiser is not fueling trucks.  It is fueling racism, bigotry, harassment, and a misguided belief that a democratic government can be overthrown by a bunch of disgruntled “patriots”.  These “patriots” claim they represent all of Canada, but this is not OUR Canada.  Therefore, I’m calling on GoFundMe to either dissolve the fundraiser, or re-direct the remaining funds to support the Terry Fox Foundation (terryfox.org), the numerous Canadian Veteran organizations, and/or the Shepherds of Good Hope in Ottawa (sghottawa.com).

GoFundMe, it is time to do the right thing.