I am the lone counter protester. Here is my experience
Hello. I am the lone counter protester who held the sign that says "We will not be held hostage in our own city." (video link at bottom of post)
I have uploaded my bodycam footage from part of my Wednesday counter protest at the Hill to give people a better sense of what it was like up there, and hopefully shed some light on the behaviour I experienced.
I will say right off the bat that I am advising people to use EXTREME caution in their counter protest. Simply put, it is not a safe atmosphere [
lol what?] and there are all kinds of individuals who are looking to intimidate, antagonize, and video record incidents in order to embolden their movement [
okay there, bro]. The worst thing we can do is react physically, verbally, or aggressively in any way.
That is why I went to the Hill with a "zero engagement" tactic. I was impervious to threats, aggression, intimidation, and close contact by convoy protesters. I am also 6'4" and 275 lbs [
that's a hefty BMI of 33. Literally obese; would not bang etc etc], and it was still scary. While banding together to counter protest may sound like a great idea, there are a myriad of security threats that increase the risk of violence and harm to those in our community. This may only work to strengthen their cause and inflame their aggression. It only takes one spark to light the whole thing
on fire (metaphorically and potentially in reality) [
were you one of those guys in the counter protest discord talking about wanting to blow up those propane barrels?]. We must assume that there are highly dangerous, violent people among them.
Around the
24 minute mark, you can see one pissed off woman threatening me in French [
I would translate what was said if I could hear her speaking over the honking.] and getting very close to my face [
probably the closest a woman has been for a while]. Her friends reinforced her and stood beside her [
the woman accompanying her seemed be making a hug gesture].
You can see me starting to move around slowly and carefully at the
29:25 mark due to protesters swarming me and trying to intimidate me up close. This lasted for a while. They tried to cover my sign (freedom, right?) and surrounded me at multiple points. I did have earbuds in most of the time, so I often didn't hear what was being said. It was crucial for drowning out the honks [
the swarming appears to be legitimate-although it was maybe a handful of people-but the guy with the plastic horn was the icing on top
] .
When I'm facing the front of the semi truck, they would blare horns incessantly. One trucker wouldn't let me get even 6 feet away from his rig, and would jump out to stand in front of me with his arms crossed [
some vehicles were vandalized, so I can't blame the trucker for being defensive]. Luckily he was only about 5'4" and looked like he smoked a lot of cigarettes. I think my gloves are covering this interaction unfortunately [
how convenient].
The fellow in the blue toque at
48:23 was getting in my face and trying to intimidate me at multiple points. Not always visible on camera, because he was off to the side mostly. He and many others kept hitting my sign and tried to cover it with flags and their "freedom" signs. [
Blue Tuque Guy et al were just holding flags and stood at least 1 metre away at all times.]
Once again, if I'm moving around it's because people behind me are harassing me and swarming, trying to intimidate me and cover my sign. The guy in the black leather jacket at
41:32 followed me the entire time and blocked my path as I peacefully and slowly made my way through. He tried to get in my face and stare me down but I refused to engage or acknowledge him in any way. You can clearly see him trying to get in my way around that time mark.
In this video you can see the convoy protesters true colours. They swarm me constantly [
"My home! This is my home here buddy!"], but it's most evident around the
44 minute mark. This was intense, as one guy had an air horn blowing in my ear for several minutes.
The guy at
51:23 in the blue hat was grouping with his friends and trying to intimidate me. They harassed me constantly and were staring me down, laughing and pointing [
the guys taking the piss out of him were sort of cringe], and telling me to go away. It was just after this that the speakers on stage started. The speaker told the crowd I am a brave guy and exercising my right and should be allowed to do that peacefully. This is lip service [
No, you just cannot understand that it is possible to respect the opinions of others and their right to express themselves without necessarily agreeing]. The whole time police just stood there and leaned against the wall. I continued to be harassed [
most of the people who came up to you were offering hugs and trying to have a conversation in good faith] after the speaker was done, although not as loudly. I left shortly after.
Once again, I am advising protesters to use EXTREME caution. They are looking for a fight and it only takes one wrong move for the "zero engagement" tactic to cause chaos and embolden their cause [like how you blew off that guy at the
three minute mark who was sharing the experience of his Venezuelan wife and what communism did to her compatriots in that country]. If you do decide to go out, you must understand the high risk for violence and danger you are getting into. Please have a plan, and an exit strategy. YOU MUST NOT ENGAGE.
They are live streaming everything and want to show that this is a hostile leftist community trying to destroy their "peaceful" convoy protest. Don't give them the satisfaction.
Video:
https://youtu.be/I_NAO3TxfZ0
