Counter-Protestor holds up a sign, Richmond and Central (Ben Harrietha, XFM News)
London received a second visit from the “Freedom Convoy” on Saturday.
The convoy gathered at a Wellington Road South parking lot near the 401 around 3 pm. The group departed shortly after.
Police blocked off streets in the downtown core, specifically around city hall to prevent gathering. Victoria hospital and Western University were also blocked off.
Counter protestors briefly stopped the convoy on Richmond Street, in front of Victoria Park. London police were able to resolve the situation without incident. The convoy then continued northbound on Richmond.
One counter protestor, who asked to remain unnamed, said that they were there to try and keep the community safe for Londoners.
“The convoy has been a movement that has opposed vaccinations, which is how we help people, and also movement that has caused real harm all over Canada. We don’t support them, and they’re not welcome here.”
Another said that the protest was “a convoy about privilege,” rather than anything about “freedom.”
One of the supporters of the convoy said that he was “fed up” and that he didn’t “want to be denied [his] Charter of Rights.”
A train also stopped the convoy shortly before 5:30 on Adelaide Street.
In true London fashion, the convoy got stuck at a train on Adelaide Street south of Oxford. Taken at 5:26p. #LdnOnt pic.twitter.com/jlKeS2hb2I
— Matthew Trevithick (@M_Trevithick) February 12, 2022
Police say the convoy ended around 6:30 pm. In a tweet, the police said “We realize that today’s convoys disrupted the normal flow of traffic in some areas of London, and we want to thank everyone for their patience while dealing with delays.”
Another, smaller convoy had also rolled through the city, between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. No traffic disruptions were caused.
Comments