Rupa Subramanya, a freelance journalist, has been praised for her role in talking to over 100 Canadian truckers protesting mandates in Ottawa, Canada.
In order to determine “what the truckers want,” Subramanya has “spent the past 10 days or so bundled up and walking around the protests”.
“I have spoken to close to 100 protesters, truckers and other folks, and not one of them sounded like an insurrectionist, white supremacist, racist or misogynist,” she said.
B.J. Dichter, a spokesman for the Freedom Convoy, talked to Subramanya and said he is vaccinated, as are most of the truckers. “I’m Jewish,” he said. “I have family in mass graves in Europe. And apparently I’m a white supremacist”.
Dichter also mentioned media coverage that called the Freedom Convoy a “cult” and a “threat to democracy”. The Ottawa Police Chief called the protests “nationwide insurrection” and others have focused on “swastikas and public urination”.
Since the majority of Canadian truckers are vaccinated, Subramanya wrote “it’s about something else. Or many things: a sense that things will never go back to normal, a sense that they are being ganged up on by the government, the media, Big Tech, Big Pharma”.
One trucker, Ivan, who emigrated with his wife, Tatiana, from Ukraine, said “We came to Canada to be free—not slaves”. “We lived under communism, and, in Canada, we’re now fighting for our freedom,” he added.
Chris, a 40-year-old trucker from Toronto, told Subramanya that he got vaccinated so he could keep his job, but participating in the protests has upset his family. “My father has spat in my face and disowned me as his son. Told me I’m not worth the family name because I will not vaccinate my children,” he explained.
24-year-old Mackenzie, who remains unvaccinated, has recovered from COVID but is not allowed to dine at the restaurant where she worked as a bartender because of her vaccination status.
Peter, 28, a long-haul trucker from Ontario, has been out of work for his refusal to get vaccinated. He told Subramanya that “the whole thing had been so politicized”. “If you’re not vaccinated,” he said, “they treat you like garbage lying on the streets”.
Stephen L. Miller, Spectator author and podcast host, tweeted about Subramanya’s report, saying “If you want to know why independent journalism is thriving, this post is a perfect example of why”.
