For some time now, observers, including myself, have been warning of the growth of right-wing extremist groups in Canada, many influenced by parallel groups in the U.S. With the prevalent use of social media, the border remains porous to the influx of misinformation and propaganda originating with these American groups. Their content is easily accessible through social media platforms, and their ideas are amplified on websites such as 4chan and Gab. YouTube, in particular, has been described as a breeding ground for the alt-right. They are seeking to recruit more followers, promote conspiracy theories, use provocative and sensational actions to gain news and social media coverage and spread misinformation that supports their views. At the outset, these groups claimed that COVID-19 was all a hoax, perpetuated by governments and big pharmaceutical companies. Once they could no longer argue the point as COVID-related hospitalization rates stressed the health care sector and hundreds of thousands of deaths occurred, they moved on to attacking vaccination programs and other public health measures. As a result of vaccines and other COVID-related mandates implemented in Canada and the U.S., they turned to what they now claim to have been an infringement on our liberties.
In the case of the current protests under the guise of a so-called Freedom Convoy, groups of Canadians have attacked the governments’ COVID-related public health measures. Initially, thought to be a reaction of a small group of truckers to U.S. and Canadian vaccine mandates at the border, the protest was easily overtaken by a radical fringe. At the outset, the convoy was started by Canada Unity, a group that has been extremely critical of all COVID-related mandates. One simply has to look at the supposed spokespersons for the Convoy, none of whom are truckers, and examine their tactics. You have several leaders who have participated in past movements, such as Tamara Lich, Dave Steenburg, Patrick King and B.J. Dichter. They are known for promoting extremist messages and civil disobedience. The resulting protest tactics include the three-week long occupation of the Canadian capital, Ottawa, and blockades at border crossings in several provinces. These are anything but “peaceful.”
Next, one has to deal with the means by which such movements are funded. This is where American web-based outlets such GoFundMe and the Christian fundraising site GiveSendGo come in. Millions of dollars were raised by these mechanisms. However, there is now a lot of concern about who are providing the funds, since the majority of funds (more than half) appear to have come from American sources. It is believed that some of the largest contributors are probably associated with right-wing groups in the U.S. Given that Canadian authorities have declared the Ottawa occupation and blockades as illegal, they are now working with the Biden administration to examine the nature of such on-line funding activities and whether they are legitimate or not. Meanwhile, in light of the situation, Canadian authorities and financial institutions have moved to block the transfer of the funds to the Freedom Convoy organizers. As a result, the organizers have now turned to collecting donations in cryptocurrency, which in itself creates causes for concern.
In the context of COVID alone, far-right movements have been sustained, and in some cases propelled into the mainstream, by co-opting vaccine anxiety and pandemic frustration. Overall, there is little doubt that far-right extremists have hijacked the current agenda under the general banner of protecting civil liberties. Unfortunately, waving Canadian and American flags and Trump and anti-Trudeau banners doesn’t really mesh with the reality that we are still in a pandemic. Prior to the convoy protest, governments at all levels were in already in various planning stages to gradually ease restrictions, while ensuring that the health care system can handle hospitalization levels. Today, with the Internet and social media, news travels fast. The pictures and videos of protests in Canada have now led to similar protests in other countries, including the U.S., Australia, France and Austria. The difficulty evident in the ability of Canadian police services to control the protests in Ottawa and at border crossings is no doubt lending encouragement to foreign elements, especially those associated with right-wing extremists.
FROLITICKS 
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