What happens in Ottawa may not stay in Ottawa

The nationwide truckers’ protest in Canada, known as the “Freedom Convoy” and centered in Ottawa, reflects so many global trends that it’s hard to say what it means. But the movement may well end up as the most consequential story of the year.
Under one plausible reading, many Canadians are exhausted by their government’s pandemic restrictions. The protests started in January, when laws took effect requiring truckers who crossed the border to be vaccinated. Since then, the protests have grown to reflect a broader Canadian opposition to Covid restrictions. The Canadian economy, unlike the US economy, saw a big job loss in January, in part because Canada has been more reluctant to liberalise.
This reluctance is puzzling, because it is now safe to lift most Covid restrictions, in the US as well as Canada. In that regard, the Freedom Convoy genuinely stands for some important freedoms. Travel, for example — either domestic or international — is not easy. If you are Canadian and do not wish to be vaccinated against Covid, it can be difficult to lead a normal life.
That is not to say that all their grievances are justified. People generally skeptical about government mandates. At this point in the pandemic, for the vast majority of people, getting vaccinated is far and away the best option.
The protests also have a darker side. The protesters have established a serious infrastructure of their own in Ottawa, replete with cranes and tent cities, and control much of the center city. The situation “is absolutely catastrophic both for the rule of law and for the long-term security of Canada,” tweets Canadian journalist Matt Gurney. “Everyone sees this. This is a massive failure of the state.”
Obviously the Canadian police and armed forces have far greater power than the truckers. But when it comes to imaginative fervour, the truckers have the advantage, just as did the forces that stormed the U. Capitol on January 6. Who would have thought such a thing could have happened?
So far at least, the Freedom Convoy has yet to attract sustained and widespread coverage in the US mainstream media. Maybe Americans just aren’t used to Ottawa being the epicenter of political conflict. But now that it is, we should probably be prepared for other surprises as well.
—Bloomberg