The Misguided Politics of the Freedom Convoy
A few thousand people block a key trade corridor that serves millions of people, and they’re not protesting for higher pay.
I’ve been keeping an eye on the Freedom Convoy. Theoretically, this is a protest to force governments in Canada and the United States, to drop all vaccine mandates. Manufacturers on both sides are on edge and some are halting production. The convoy swept across Canada until they got to Detroit-Windsor Bridge. And there they sit.
Ostensibly, the protest is by and for long-haul truckers. But the primary organizers of the protest are NOT long-haul truckers. Already there is concern that far-right extremists groups are using the protest for political gain in a way that isn’t necessarily beneficial to long-haul truckers. Fortune magazine notes:
“This interruption on the Detroit-Windsor bridge hurts customers, auto workers, suppliers, communities and companies on both sides of the border,” Ford said in a statement on Wednesday. Toyota suspended production at three Canadian plants the same day, owing to parts shortages caused by the trucker protests.
Understand the scale of what they’re doing and what they’re asking for. Truckers have parked their rigs to block a major trade artery, disrupting…
