Hundreds turned out in Langley Saturday morning to show support for the trucker convoy that arrived in Ottawa to demonstrate against vaccine mandates.
There were dozens of semi trailer trucks, and many more smaller trucks and cars at the Jan. 29 Langley event, most waving Canadian flags and bearing signs calling for an end to vaccine restrictions.
Several signs identified participants as members of “a fringe minority with unacceptable views,” a reference to critical comments by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a Wednesday press conference where he described the convoy protesters as a “small fringe minority of people” who hold “unacceptable views” that don’t represent views of most Canadians.
Other signs said “mandate freedom,” God keep us glorious and free,” and “mandate freedom for all.”
One of the big rig drivers, Maple Ridge resident Jason Bradbury, told the Langley Advance Times the aim was “to restore freedom back to Canada.”
“We need to have our governments step back, stop mandating what we put into our body, what we put over our faces, how many people come into our stores [and] over whether or not you can have a job if you’re vaccinated or not,” Bradbury said.
“It’s complete overreach, and it has to stop.”
Bradbury declined to say if he was vaccinated, calling it a “private matter between me and my doctor.”
READ ALSO: Chilliwack trucker organizes Saturday’s trucker convoy support rally which starts in Langley
Event organizer Stacey Midgely, a trucker from Chilliwack, said because he is unvaccinated, he can’t continue to do long-haul trucking under new rules that require cross-border drivers to be vaccinated.
“I crossed the border for the last time last night [Thursday],” Midgely said.
Midgely said every trucker should refuse to work until Canada does away with COVID mandates.
“We [truckers] have the power to shut down this entire country right now,” he commented.
Midgley said people don’t have to agree with those taking part in the convoy, but they are fighting for everyone’s rights.
“It’s about everybody’s freedom, all mandates for everybody, even those who are against us,” he said.
The local convoy left their marshaling area, a parking lot in North Langley at 200th Street and 91A Avenue, at 10 a.m..
It took about an hour for all the vehicles to exit.
They were headed for Vancouver’s downtown with plans to return on Hwy. 1 through to the Lickman Road truck stop in Chilliwack.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Crowd of supporters greets anti-vaccine-mandate truck convoy in Aldergrove
More images from the Langley event can viewed at the Langley Advance Times Facebook page.
Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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