Tesla CEO Elon Musk, podcast host Joe Rogan, and psychology professor Jordan Peterson were among those who recently endorsed the “Freedom Convoy” — a group of Canadian truckers organizing against the nation’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
For the Canadian trucking industry, the policy forces unvaccinated drivers to observe a two-week quarantine and COVID-19 test before crossing into Canada from the United States.
As news of the protest made international headlines, Musk expressed approval in a three-word tweet: “Canadian truckers rule.”
Canadian truckers rule
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2022
Meanwhile, Rogan highlighted the convoy and noted that Canada is “in revolt.”
Peterson — a Canadian — has repeatedly discussed the protest on his Twitter page. In one post, he categorized The Toronto Star’s assertion that the truckers are “flirting with extremists” as laughable.
"flirting with extremists". Extremists. In Canada. "Extremist Canadians." It is to laugh. https://t.co/gG8zw8pZLp https://t.co/IMOhSBaKzw
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) January 27, 2022
In another post, he tagged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to refute his remarks that only a few “extremist” Canadians with “unacceptable” views were participating in the convoy.
A few "extremist" Canadians with "unacceptable " views @JustinTrudeau https://t.co/UBPUJDXYbv
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) January 27, 2022
During an interview with Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham, former NHL player and two-time Olympic gold medalist Theo Fleury also addressed Trudeau’s response. “Right now in Canada, we have one of the biggest revolutions happening,” he commented. “There’s 50,000 truckers and about 1.4 million people headed to the parliament in Ottawa. And they’re going to stay there until Trudeau resigns.”
The Freedom Convoy has raised more than $4.5 million from 60,000 supporters on GoFundMe. As organizer Tamara Lich wrote on the group’s page: “We are a peaceful country that has helped protect nations across the globe from tyrannical governments who oppressed their people, and now it seems it is happening here. We are taking our fight to the doorsteps of our Federal Government and demanding that they cease all mandates against its people.”
However, the donation platform later blocked access to the funds.
“We require that fundraisers be transparent about the flow of funds and have a clear plan for how those funds will be spent,” GoFundMe spokeswoman Rachel Hollis said in an email, according to The Toronto Star. “In this case, we are in touch with the organizer to verify that information.”
In the United States, however, a lawsuit filed by The Daily Wire played an integral role in overturning President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private employers.
“It’s a tremendous day for the American people and for the founding idea that this is a limited government of enumerated powers, which exists to protect, not erode, the God-given freedoms of the people,” Daily Wire Co-CEO Jeremy Boreing wrote after the Supreme Court overturned the statute.
“Total victory, not just for the millions of Americans who have exercised their right not to be vaccinated, but the millions more who oppose the tyranny of this mandate regardless of their vaccine status,” he continued. “And utter defeat for the government, which sought to enforce its will on the American people — literally INTO the American people — at threat of financial ruin just because they’re convinced they know better than you.”