It’s official: going by the metrics of property damage, injuries, and arrests, the Freedom Convoy that made its way to Ottawa, Ontario last weekend was “mostly peaceful.” The Globe and Mail says many activists and academics are concerned by that description, saying it undermines the fear and the non-violent danger it brought to the city.
Calling the Ottawa protests ‘peaceful’ downplays non-violent dangers, critics say https://t.co/2emfRa5Jpc
— The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) January 31, 2022
Oh, activists and academics? We must hear more!
Police haven’t reported any physical violence at the ongoing Ottawa rally against vaccine mandates and other government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions, but critics warn that conflating the absence of bloodshed with “peaceful” protest downplays the dangers of the weekend demonstrations.
…
Catherine McKenney, the councillor for Ottawa’s downtown, said the protests have been very disruptive for local residents, adding many have also found them disturbing.
“They’re also seeing the images that we’re all seeing, of very right-wing extremist messages: the flags that display the swastika, confederate flags, images of a prime minister being lynched,” McKenney said. “I’m not sure that I would continue to call this peaceful.”
McKenney, who is non-binary, said they aren’t sure they would be safe venturing downtown.
…
Josh Greenberg, professor of communication and media studies at Carleton University, echoed many of McKenney’s concerns.
…
“By what common understanding of the term does what we are seeing on the ground, on TV, in our social media feeds qualify as ‘peaceful protest?”’ he wrote. “Is it merely the absence of physical violence and injury? That’s not unimportant but is insufficient as a definitional threshold.”
Recommended
A professor of communication is upset that they’re using the word peaceful to describe a protest without physical violence or injuries.
Well, when you are desperate to delegitimize something, I guess you will grasp at whatever straws present themselves.
— I'm the other kind . . . (@anthonybakker3) January 31, 2022
Seriously “non violent dangers” what word sorcery is this
— Tyler Villeneuve (@tylerGvilly) January 31, 2022
Define "non-violent dangers" please….
— CANADIAN GUY (@belkage) January 31, 2022
Forgot about those “non-violent” dangers 😂
— EMJ (@EMJ_06_) January 31, 2022
This you?https://t.co/cdEMSXcj5t
— Marcus Aurelius (@rizzo2200) January 31, 2022
https://twitter.com/hugofreitas_r/status/1488227411921719308
Were the BLM protests non-violent?
— Tara Schüle (@tdawg07397611) January 31, 2022
Those had Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s stamp of approval as recently as Monday.
You clownin' up a storm in here
— Temporarily Embarrassed Gorillionaire (@Don_Quixot3) January 31, 2022
Well, nothing is on fire, so we haven't escalated to "mostly peaceful" yet.
— FrogButt (@butt_watermelon) January 31, 2022
Bravo! Unfettered freedom always presents non-violent dangers to the livelihood of our leaders. It is absolutely a non-violent danger to even question the obviously supreme love our overseers have for us. Obedience to leadership is the only way to avoid these non-violent acts.
— International Spokesperson (@MartinPovedaSr) January 31, 2022
What if we just call them mostly peaceful? We're good right?
— Wheresyourcape? (@wheresyourcape) January 31, 2022
"Police haven’t reported any physical violence at the ongoing Ottawa rally against vaccine mandates and other government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions, but…"
Look how hard they're trying. https://t.co/j9j7MXnGN5
— Omri Ceren (@omriceren) January 31, 2022
This is so telling. We all knew this, but this confirms that whether something is peaceful or not, is taken from the view of a leftist regardless of whether they are the ones protesting
— bucs2829 (@bucs2829) January 31, 2022
It went from "fiery but peaceful" to "non-violent but dangerous" depending on who's doing the protesting
If it wasn't so insidious & damaging to the health of this country, this bs propaganda would be laughable in it's patent ridiculousness.
Thank God most people tune it out.
— nothingtoseehere (@andItoldyaso) January 31, 2022
it's only peaceful if there's burning and looting and torching
— NightKingKiller #Pureblood (@lonedirewuf) January 31, 2022
Cities literally set on fire = “mostly peaceful”
Trucks/truckers literally doing nothing to anybody = not “peaceful”Got it. Liberal thought in a nutshell.
— Richard A Harrison (@RAHarrisonPA) January 31, 2022
Local news in MI reported that someone was arrested for public urination & putting a message on a statue. That’s all they got.
— VMW (@Vwms63) January 31, 2022
But a nonbinary politician didn’t feel safe walking downtown among all of those right-wing nutjobs. That “non-violent danger.”
Related:
Canada PM Justin Trudeau accuses trucker convoy of ‘hateful rhetoric’ and ‘violence toward citizens,’ prefers BLM protests https://t.co/NWaaYsAYQX
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 31, 2022
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