On Saturday, March 19, there was yet another World Wide Freedom Rally. The World Wide Rally’s were born out of the continued miscarriage of civil liberties and democratic process by governments globally during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The worldwide events typically garner more attendance than the usual Saturday protests that happen across various cities and towns nationwide. Covering the rally from Queen's Park in Toronto, I talked to a few of the speakers and some attendees before they set off to march through the streets. There were several hundred protesters despite the cold, rainy weather.

As of March 1, Ontario Premier Doug Ford ended vaccine passport requirements. Two days after the protest on Saturday, Ontario is also seeing a lifting of the provincial mask mandate. When questioned about what freedom(s) they continue to rally for, protestors note that vaccine passports and restrictions continue in various business sectors such as museums and remain heavily enforced in the federal sector. 

Millions of Canadians remain barred from travel, unable to board a plane or train — both inter-provincially and internationally.

People want a full restoration of freedom of choice, to choose if they want to cover their face and to choose what is (or is not) injected into their bodies, without threats of job loss or exclusion from societal structure.