We spent a lot of time on Saturday watching the liberation of downtown Ottawa from insurrectionists who had occupied the streets, disrupting everyday life for thousands of residents. This may appear to be an overly strong description of the protestors on my part but it's difficult to view the actions of what became a belligerent, aggressive, and delusional mob in any other way.
I was impressed by the determined and non-violent approach taken by police who had been gathered from across Canada to enforce this evacuation. It's also impressive that this operation was fulfilled without serious injury or bloodshed as the encampments were dismantled. We're told that hundreds of charges were laid, arrests were made, and at least 75 vehicles were towed.
As I watched several things came to mind. First of all, I have been a protestor on several occasions through the years, involved in marches and rallies. When we lived in Halifax our family took part in two marches involving thousands of people who were opposed to the war in Iraq. We wanted to send a message to the Canadian government that we did not want our country to participate and that the United States was making a mistake in initiating what turned out to be a disastrous war.
We have been involved in several other demonstrations as well, and I do recall a march in Barrie, Ontario, decades ago where son Isaac was young enough that he rode on my shoulders.
We took part because we wanted to make a moral statement and we did so informed by our Christian conscience. In Halifax the United Church actually created banners identifying who we were and members from various congregations came together to walk behind them. This was our right as citizens of a democracy and in a way we were mixing religion and politics.
In Ottawa there were lots of people who figured they were there because of their Christian convictions, although they were making a deal with the devil in my estimation. What began as a supposedly peaceful protest was almost immediately infiltrated by those who hold disturbing white supremacist views with some intimidating residents and business owners. It was shocking to see how aggressive some were with members of the media who continued their real-time reporting with courage and restraint.
I also thought about Indigenous protests, including some which are ongoing, where police have used unwarranted force, pepper spraying those on site, and arresting media members unlawfully. The contrast with what unfolded in Ottawa is deeply unsettling. I didn't see a single BIPOC person amongst the mob in Ottawa and I have to wonder if this tempered the response of authorities.
So much to ponder, and I'm sure we all will for a while. I've wondered whether displaying the Canadian flag and singing our national anthem will ever be the same for me again. I do know that as a Christian I won't hesitate to join with others against injustice if the circumstances arise.
4 comments:
What's your understanding of how their Christian convictions motivated certain protestors? Thanks-Kathy B.
It really isn't clear what motivates the gang who claim to be Christian. For some it is the notion that God is our immune system, that we are "washed in the blood of Jesus" (actual quote) and don't need vaccines. There is a strong anti-science tone to a lot of the rhetoric. Some uphold "your'e not the boss of me" religious freedom. Others have vague notions of freedom which aren't biblical because there is no sense of responsibility or consequence, and certainly not loving your neighbour as yourself. It's a dog's breakfast of selfishness and I figure an exorcism might be in order.
"Others have vague notions of freedom which aren't biblical because there is no sense of responsibility or consequence"
There was a big American influence working among the protesters and I'm wondering if they took as inspiration the American Declaration of Independence:We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." And in our own Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it does actually say in the Preamble "Whereas Canada is founded on principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law..." Section 2 protects freedom of conscience. The Charter also states that while there are rights and freedoms, they have limitations.- Kathy
Good observations Kathy. Sadly, on both sides of the border some conservative Christians have truncated the implications of these freedoms so that there isn't a sense of responsibility toward others. If I'd lived through the cacophony in Ottawa I might have proposed an amendement to the Charter which gave Canadians the right to bear arms!
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