Dear Mr. Lawton MP,
I am a constituent writing to you today about your recent comments on the “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa. I was particularly struck by a news report stating that you described the three-week occupation as “peaceful.”
I must respectfully disagree. For the residents of Ottawa, including our dedicated healthcare workers, the experience was far from peaceful. It was three weeks of relentless noise from blaring horns, which was a constant source of stress and disturbance. Many people lived in fear, enduring threatening gestures and language.
I ask you to imagine what it would be like to have your neighborhood, your city, and your sense of safety taken away for weeks on end. A peaceful protest is one that is free from disturbance and allows for a sense of tranquility. The convoy was the opposite of that.
I hope you will reconsider your use of the word “peaceful” in describing an event that caused such significant distress and disruption to so many Canadians.
Sincerely,
Paul Kuebler
Port Sydney, Ontario
cc. Scott Aitchison, MP for Parry Sound-Muskoka and various media.
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I agree that no-one should feel threatened in their own home town. And a ‘peaceful’ protest should be non-violent. But a ‘peaceful protest’ doesn’t mean it should be quiet. I think we should understand that Ottawa is the capital for all Canadians. The city, in all its finery, is supported by all our tax money and does not just belong to those that live there. Ottawa, belongs to us all. If there is to be a protest of national importance, it should be in downtown Ottawa in the area that houses the people we pay to represent our interests. With the convoy, Trudeau would have been OK if the protest were held outside the city in a place that caused the least disruption. Of course he would, out of sight, out of mind. But that defeats the purpose. A protest of this importance needed to be in downtown Ottawa, and near the parliament buildings. This protest garnered the support of millions of Canadians and garnered admiration from around the world. Finally we had a group that portrayed Canadians as having a backbone, unlike the image of Canadians portrayed by Trudeau and the Liberal Party. If you choose to live in Ottawa, the city we all pay for, then you should expect the city to be safe, but you also need to accept that disruption through protest comes with the territory.
Totally agree with this version!