#IStandWithTrudeau

Trudeau’s invoking of the Emergencies Act draws huge support across the country

It was a matter of minutes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the nation yesterday, the #IStandWithTrudeau started to trend on social media. The Prime Minister used the press conference to announce the invoking of the Emergencies Act to end the illegal blockades across the county.

Canadians have been patient with the protestors and a few agreeable to their cause, but they overstayed their welcome. What started as a rally against all COVID-19 mandates ballooned into an occupation. One that visibly had the symbols of hate and white supremacists among them. The organizers of the Freedom Convoy consider themselves peaceful protestors, but, if you ask most Canadians and politicians, they are insurrectionists that have laid siege to parts of the country. Whatever name Canadians decide to attribute to the convoy, one thing is for sure, they speak for a fringe minority.

Of course, not everyone associated with the “Freedom” occupation is racist or supports white supremacy. Many support an end to vaccine mandates and do not condone hate speech or violence.

Every Canadian wants to see a return to normalcy, but making unrealistic demands of governments and holding cities across the country hostage, is not the way to start a dialogue. Over 80% of Canadians are fully vaccinated and, more than 50% are boosted. So the real question is to the convoy is, what majority are they speaking for?

The majority of Canadians are loud and clear that they support their Prime Minister. They’ve had enough with the horn honking at all hours of the night, interruption of businesses, blocking of bridges and having to witness the reprehensible act of using children as human shields.

#IStandWithTrudeau was trending because Canadians want unity and a plan to get them through the pandemic, and right now, the Prime Minister is offering both. The true strength of any leader is their ability to lift the spirits of a nation in a time of crisis and its darkest hour, or why would they want the job if they could not do both. 

Canadians are fortunate they have a federal government that has and will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure they make it through the pandemic. There will always be elected officials who claim to have the best interest of all Canadians but do not. They will use their platforms for divisive rhetoric and plant the seeds of division with hopes of bringing down the government. But Canadians are smart enough to see through all the noise and misinformation. They know they are stronger as a nation when they show love, respect and tolerance for each other.