Federal report claims Freedom Convoy was 'anti-Semitic' and 'racist'

The federal government continues to peddle 'fake news' against the Freedom Convoy, with a new federal report calling anti-mandate protesters 'anti-Semitic and racist.'

  • By Alex Dhaliwal
  • March 18, 2024
  • News Analysis
Federal report claims Freedom Convoy was 'anti-Semitic' and 'racist'
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
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The federal government continues to peddle ‘fake news’ against the Freedom Convoy, with a new federal report calling anti-mandate protesters “anti-Semitic and racist.” 

“There are clear needs for government initiatives and programs that support multiculturalism and address racism and discrimination in Canada,” said the report Grouped Evaluation Of The Multiculturalism And Anti-Racism Program And Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy. 

“Over recent years there have been a series of hate crimes and incidents of racism.” It cited “the display of anti-Semitic and racist symbols at the 2022 Freedom Convoy,” reported Blacklock’s Reporter.

In addition, Anti-Racism Strategy made no mention of anti-Semitic incidents following the Hamas terror attacks that killed 1,200 Jews and saw 240 Israeli citizens taken hostage.

The Department of Canadian Heritage published the report on October 27, several weeks following the October 7 massacre.

MPs expressed outrage over anti-Semitic incidents following the terror attacks, including gunfire outside a Jewish home in Winnipeg, street boycotts of Jewish shops in Toronto and the attempted firebombing of synagogues and Jewish kindergartens in Montréal.

The report follows an October 12 federal appeal for protection of Canadian Jews from any “glorification of violence or terror.” 

“What is the point of Canada’s hate propaganda laws if they are not enforced?” Independent MP Kevin Vuong earlier asked the Commons. “We are seeing on streets across Canada pro-Hamas rallies calling for the boycotting or swarming of businesses just because they are owned by Jews,” he added. “That is repulsive.”

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) ultimately reputed claims that anti-Semites infiltrated the Freedom Convoy. 

The federal government went on to falsely accuse the anti-lockdown convoy of being part of the 'far-right,' and repressed them with the help of allied media, revealed the substack Public.

"Central to Trudeau's invocation of the Act was the alleged threat of right-wing extremism and violence, but new documents that podcaster Jeremy Mackenzie obtained through Canada's freedom of information law show that this drastic measure was based on fabricated intelligence," reads the Public investigation.

Protesters considered themselves “patriotic Canadians standing up for their democratic rights,” said a February 2, 2022 CSIS memo — four days after a Nazi flag was photographed at a convoy protest.

“A small number of individuals displayed handwritten statements or images on their flags in an attempt to focus their message,” wrote the Intelligence Service. 

They clarified the presence of a swastika does not equate to a Nazi presence at the rally, but frustrated Canadians implying the “federal government is acting like Nazis by imposing public health mandates.”

However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the convoy as swastika wavers. “Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas,” he told the Commons at the time.

The Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) later acknowledged the protests were rooted in a "loss of faith in government" and "economic hardship" caused by the government's pandemic response. 

Justice Paul Rouleau, who oversaw the inquiry as commissioner, said the "peaceful demonstrations" surprised him. He also wrote that the media spread "misinformation" on the convoy, which the federal government did not address.

Instead, then-public safety Minister Marco Mendicino advised reporters to "be very careful" with convoy participants. 

His remarks furthered the federal Cabinet’s 'disinformation' campaign against protestors.

The Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery called the demonstration 'unsafe' in a February 1, 2022 letter. It provided no evidence to substantiate the claims, reported Blacklock's Reporter.

"Protesters of the truck convoy have harassed some of our members in the last few days, and we cannot afford to be left exposed without protection for hours outside the building," wrote Catherine Levesque of the National Post, then-Press Gallery president.

No Freedom Convoy participant ever faced charges for misconduct against reporters.

Through the POEC Inquiry, Canadians learned that department staff sought to discredit protesters as 'violent' without evidence. 

"Some of their more extreme comments, i.e. calling for a January 6 style insurrection, are getting more coverage in the media," wrote staff in a January 24, 2022 text. "There could be an opportunity to get in on this growing narrative of the truckers."

"There's a danger that if we come down too hard, they might push out the crazies," wrote an aide. "That's fair," replied another.

According to pollster Angus Reid, over half (51%) of Canadians perceived the Freedom Convoy as a national security threat in spite of no evidence of violence by protesters.

However, Ottawa Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi told MPs he remains convinced of their violent nature. “I think some of you may have forgotten there was violence,” he said without evidence.

“I get more and more frustrated as somebody who represents downtown Ottawa by the collective amnesia of committee members,” continued Naqvi. “They have forgotten what members of my community in downtown Ottawa went through.”

The feds said the convoy harmed residents in the nation’s capital through their honking, and truck fumes.

Canadians believed the convoy posed a threat of espionage, sabotage, foreign influence, serious violence, or an overthrow of the federal government — a belief not held by the Intelligence Service or law enforcement.

Canada Emergencies Act freedom convoy News Analysis Convoy Reports CSIS misinformation
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