Canadian provinces lift COVID mandates amid Freedom Convoy protests



No fewer than four Canadian provinces are set to lift COVID-19 restrictions amid the Freedom Convoy protests.

Hundreds of truckers have gathered in Ottawa in protest of what they say are draconian COVID-19 mitigation measures.

What are the details?

According to a Thursday report from the Associated Press, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan have announced plans to reduce or remove all COVID-19-related measures.

The report noted that Alberta, for instance, "dropped its vaccine passport for places such as restaurants" and is "getting rid of masks at the end of the month."

"A growing number of Canadian provinces have moved to lift some of their precautions as the omicron surge levels off, but [Canadian Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau defended the measures the federal government is responsible for, including the one that has angered many truck drivers: a rule that took effect Jan. 15 requiring truckers entering Canada to be fully vaccinated," the news organization noted in its report.

During a news conference this week, protest organizer Benjamin Dichter said that both the government and the media are "drastically underestimating the resolve and patience of truckers."

“Drop the mandates. Drop the passports,” he demanded.

Anything else?

Trudeau has lashed out at protesters, referring to them as nothing more than a "few people shouting and waving swastikas."

"Individuals are trying to blockade our economy, our democracy, and our fellow citizens' daily lives," he complained during an emergency Parliament session this week. "It has to stop. The people of Ottawa don't deserve to be harassed in their own neighborhoods."

On Tuesday night, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said he believed the threat of COVID-19 "no longer outweighs the hugely damaging impact of health restrictions on our society."

"Now is the time to begin learning to live with COVID," he added.

Beginning Wednesday, the capacity limits of under 500 for public venues, libraries, and churches will end, and by Monday, the province will end its mask mandate for schoolchildren.

On March 1, the province plans to remove the indoor mask mandate and more.

“I very much hope that today’s long-awaited announcement gives a sense of optimism,” Kenney said.

He added, "We are well positioned to live with this virus, as we do with many other infectious diseases.”

(H/T: The Daily Wire)

'THIS is your future if you don't protect your First Amendment': SHOCKING video shows Canadian police arresting reporters



Ezra Levant, founder of Rebel News, joined Glenn Beck on the radio program to describe the shocking footage he and his team captured of Canadian police harassing and even arresting Rebel News reporters during a protest in Montreal.

Video clips show officers making remarks about the "Jew" reporters and calling Rebel News "Jew media." Reporters are pulled out of crowds, handcuffed, slammed against vehicles and arrested. Some have been fined "thousands and thousands" of dollars "because they had cameras pointed at the police," said Levant.

Another video clip shows Canadian police demanding entrance to a rented Airbnb houseboat without a warrant.

"They the claimed it was an illegal gathering. It was just a B and B," Levant explained. "I told them to get a warrant. I went out there ... and they wouldn't let me back in.... It turned into a ten-hour standoff. They couldn't find a judge willing to give them a search warrant, so to punish us, they called the whole thing a crime scene. They actually wouldn't let any of my team off the boat unless they submitted to a personal search, which is illegal. And the craziest part, is that they arrested one of my guys, took him to jail, and they said this to us: We will hold him in jail until you let us search the Airbnb without a warrant."

Levant said nearly all Canadian media have ignored the insane attacks, warrantless searches and seizures, and the jailing of journalists, and warned Americans to take note and protect our First Amendment rights.

"If you do not protect your First Amendment, if you do not hold those hard-won freedoms, you will be like what we are," he said. "This is your future if you don't protect your First Amendment."

Watch the video below for more details:


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WATCH: Christians tear down fences around shuttered Canadian church, government sends in 200 riot police



Hundreds of Canadian Christians gathered on Sunday at the GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta. Government officials shut down the church for allegedly violating public COVID-19 health orders. Authorities erected a chain-link fence to prevent the house of worship from reopening last week. On Sunday, worshippers tore down the barricade, but were quickly met by a large contingent of riot police.

Alberta Health Services physically closed the GraceLife Church, preventing access to the building. AHS said the church would remain closed until the GraceLife Church "can demonstrate the ability to comply with Alberta's chief medical officer of health's restrictions." The Royal Canadian Mounted Police even closed off the access roads in front of the church to the public.

Fences went up around GraceLife Church Wednesday morning as AHS physically closed the building west of Edmonton for… https://t.co/N0ZJuxSCeo
— Global Edmonton (@Global Edmonton)1617819406.0


RCMP are controlling traffic at every entrance near GraceLife Church this morning. The north entrance is completely… https://t.co/wqT02v3F6W
— Laura Krause (@Laura Krause)1618154574.0

Approximately 400 people gathered outside the church on Sunday, according to the Edmonton Journal. The Christians were not able to get inside the church, so they sang hymns and listened to Bible readings outside the building.

The crowd at GraceLife Church has nearly doubled in size in less than an hour. A new group walked up with music and… https://t.co/qHvtDwqHvP
— Laura Krause (@Laura Krause)1618157178.0


A convoy of supporters drove from Calgary to Red Deer then onto Spruce Grove, AB this morning showing support for P… https://t.co/pppkrYbizo
— Hal Roberts 🇨🇦 (@Hal Roberts 🇨🇦)1618165577.0


A church in Edmonton, Canada wouldn’t obey politicians and lock its doors. So they jailed the pastor for 35 days. T… https://t.co/W3ADhbV08y
— Ezra Levant 🍁 (@Ezra Levant 🍁)1618167172.0


Farmer for Justice Jim Ness was at the GraceLife protest today. Jim spent time in jail for his act of civil disob… https://t.co/tIs6DmD91j
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@Sheila Gunn Reid)1618176325.0


The crowd began to sing along https://t.co/QIWd6plw7C
— Laura Krause (@Laura Krause)1618156671.0

Some of the people outside of the building began to tear down the fence, despite pleas from the crowd to "leave the fence alone!"

Organizers say people not associated with the peaceful protest are trying to tear down the fences at GraceLife chur… https://t.co/dWssbJ9iby
— Hal Roberts 🇨🇦 (@Hal Roberts 🇨🇦)1618167877.0


The fence is coming down https://t.co/gFCroOuhin
— Laura Krause (@Laura Krause)1618164559.0

There were reports of 200 police officers in riot gear sent to disperse the crowd outside of the GraceLife Church.

Just a regular Sunday at GraceLife Church, as the police head to Sunday Mass today.#gracelifechurch #Communisim https://t.co/em8rEhEs34
— 🍁🇨🇦CanAditude🇨🇦🍁 (@🍁🇨🇦CanAditude🇨🇦🍁)1618169033.0


This isn’t really about Covid, this is really about how the spirit of the age really wants to treat the church. https://t.co/na9xX2FBjB
— Steve Deace (@Steve Deace)1618177659.0

The AHS claimed it had received 105 complaints from the public about the GraceLife Church between July 10 and April 6. The church was shut down in January for breaching public health guidelines that limit worship services to 15% of capacity. The church was also accused of not ensuring that people wore face masks during religious services and for not practicing proper physical distancing.

In February, GraceLife's Pastor James Coates was charged violating COVID-19 public health orders. Coates spent 35 days in custody before pleading guilty to a charge of breaching bail and was fined $1,500. He returned to the pulpit on March 28.

Coates' attorney, John Carpay, said the government's enforcement was excessive.

"I'm very disappointed to see this kind of draconian and aggressive enforcement of health orders when these health orders themselves are being challenged in court," Carpay told CBC News. "It shows a very aggressive government that is not answering questions about its policies, but wants to push its weight around and try and make an example out of GraceLife Church."