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PROTESTERS AGAIN POURED into Canada’s capital early Saturday to join a convoy of truckers whose occupation of Ottawa to denounce Covid vaccine mandates is now in its second week.
Individuals and families huddled around campfires in bone-chilling weather and erected bouncy castles for children outside Parliament, while waving Canadian flags and anti-government placards.
Police, who were out in force and erected barriers overnight to limit vehicle access to the city center, said they were expecting up to 2,000 protesters — as well as 1,000 counterprotesters — to join hundreds of truckers already clogging Ottawa streets.
But organizers of the so-called “Freedom Convoy” told AFP they expected their numbers to swell into the tens of thousands.
Similar protests were planned for Toronto, Quebec City and Winnipeg.
The atmosphere early Saturday appeared more festive than a week earlier, when some protesters waved Confederate flags and Nazi symbols — which were condemned by government officials — and clashed with locals.
Police have vowed to end the “unlawful” occupation as soon as possible.
But on Saturday, there were signs the protesters were digging in. They had erected a wooden shed and tents to house food supplies for demonstrators and fuel for the big rigs.
One woman offered passersby hand-warmers as temperatures were forecast to plunge to -30 degrees Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit).
Kimberly Ball and her husband had driven five hours from a small town west of Toronto to join the demonstration.
“It’s not about whether you get the vaccine or not,” she insisted. “It’s about our freedom.”
Holding back tears, she added: “It’s really, really tough. A couple of people we know, friends, also lost their jobs because of these mandates.”
Ball has had Covid-19 and said she is not convinced the vaccines are safe and effective.
She is, however, in the minority in Canada, where 90 percent of adults are fully vaccinated.
The Freedom Convoy started on Canada’s Pacific coast in late January and picked up supporters along the trek to the capital. The protest has drawn more than 10 million Canadian dollars ($8 million) in online donations.
The number of protesters in Ottawa had peaked at several thousand last Saturday, according to officials, before dwindling to a few hundred by midweek.
This weekend Ottawa police worked to contain the protests to the parliamentary precinct, after widespread complaints of harassment, threats and sleeplessness caused by incessant honking.
© Agence France-Presse
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Was that not last weeks news?
Yes it did the rounds last Wednesday
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/08/iphone-5-lost-at-bar/
If I was a cynic I would suggest that apple are handing their prototypes over to the offices biggest piss head before a launch in the knowledge that he will loose it at a bar and create controversy. I love the thought that it was the same guy who lost it last year. "How many chances do we have to give you Bob?"
I know where they’ll find it…. in any phonestore…under the name Samsung Galaxy S II.
How could that be?
The Samsung Galaxy SII (apart from all of its different features, such as an antenna that works, face that doesn’t shatter when dropped from 12″, weighs less than 34lbs, has a screen bigger than a stamp) has already been launched, whereas the iPhone 5 is still in production.
Anyway does *anyone* really know what an iPhone actually looks like – any I’ve ever seen have been enclosed in massive rubber/plastic protective cases.
Holy sh**! Apple have now for the same search and sieze powers as customs? Apple Stormtroopers??
One big pr stunt for apple.loose iphone once is a mistake.But twice is a joke.
for a week old story, this is missing allot of the main points. there are questions over whether the apple employees were impersonating police officers, whether the Apple employees were bullying the residents by questioning their legal status in the states, why the police initially denied the event, why the police acted without a report being filed and why have they gone to such an extent to assist Apple, when it is very unlikely the same treatment would be givin if for instance samsaung has lost one of their phones in a pub. also, this is the second time Apple have lost a prototype phone in a pub… neither were stolen, yet Apple treats people who find them as criminals.
In Ireland anyway if you find something and don’t hand it over to the authorities they it is a criminal offense.
Top marks to Apple’s PR company! Get everyone talking about the new product weeks before it’s launched. Simples!
I’m just astonished about the amount of people who can’t spell the word "lose".
Why? Have a look at all the "they’re, there, their" no one seems to have a clue in Ireland which one is which.
Publicity stunt any1 working for apple would not be stupid enough to lose something that valuable in a bar
Two guarantees in life, after death and taxes, every new U2 album will be "leaked" and every new iPhone will be "lost in a bar".
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