title: Canada convoy protest

text: The "Times" said that many analysts have cautioned that some convoy's leaders with military or policing backgrounds helped demonstrators strategize and plan under the guidance of people like Tom Quiggin, "proclaimed head of protective intelligence", who had formerly served as an "intelligence officer for the Canadian military, cabinet office and federal police." and has been described as "one of the country's top counter-terrorism experts." By February 10, Chief Sloly said 250 RCMP officers were sworn in and deployed to reinforce the 1,500 OPS officers.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The response of local police forces to these blockades has erred on the side of caution, with police at each site initially trying to negotiate with the protesters.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Plans for the creation of the new Integrated Command Centre were in place by February 12. The Integrated Command Centre was created to help Ottawa Police Services (OPS) coordinate with Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and RCMP when the anticipated reinforcements would arrive. As an estimated 4,000 protesters converged on Parliament Hill on February 12, the extra reinforcements requested by Chief Sloly a week earlier had not yet arrived.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said on February 13, that they are in constant contact with provincial and municipal authorities. Because the situation is "critical" for Canada with the "closing of our borders, the targeting on critical infrastructure, particularly our points of entry by the people behind these protests", it poses a "significant national security threat" to Canada, and we have to "end it".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On Day 19 of the protests, with Ottawa under three states of emergency invoked by the three levels of government, Chief Sloly resigned. At the February 15 Ottawa Police Board meeting, Deputy Chief Steve Bell, who was appointed Interim Chief of Police, told the board that the OPS force had not "yet received the 1,800 extra officers requested". At the height of the protests there were about 8,000 protesters. Overnight on February 14 there were "less than 150 people in the blockade" and approximately 360 vehicles still on the streets, in contrast to the estimated 4,000 vehicles at the end of January. The OPS had made a total of "33 arrests and charged 18 people" in the 19 day period. Canadian Police Association president, Tom Stamatakis, cautioned that with Sloly's resignation, politicians "should not "scapegoat him for other failures that have allowed this occupation to drag on."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 18, Day 22, hundreds of OPS, York, Toronto, Gatineau, Durham Region, London, Hamilton forces, the Sureté du Québec, the OPP, and the RCMP, worked on a coordinated police action in and around Parliament Hill. By late February 18 morning, CTV News and other mainstream media reporting in the red zone, showed police steadily, very slowly sandwiching groups of dozens of the remaining protesters on all sides on separate streets. There were reports of a flank of police on horseback behind those in the front lines. Families with children were seen in these final groups of protesters with police reporting that protesters were "putting children between their operations and the protest site." The police assured that "children will be brought to a place of safety." In a CBC interview with Charles Bordeleau, former OPS chief, he said he had never seen children used before in other protests. He said that the CAS did not have to step in. Pat King was arrested near noon. King is described as the final of three major online influencers continuing the protest to be arrested. He was later charged of mischief, counselling to commit the offence of mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobey court order (s.127), and counselling to commit the offence of obstruct police.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: By early afternoon, tactical officers began slowly entering the cabins of large rigs that had been parked in front of Parliament since the end of January. Two large campers placed by protesters to prevent large trucks blocking Sussex from moving were finally cleared early in the afternoon with the arrest of a protester in the motor home by five officers wearing full security gear. Police allowed mainstream media close access to the frontlines of the tactical method. In the afternoon, as some of the remaining protesters accepted the inevitable, they began to clear 30 cm of snow from their trucks and trailers in preparation for their departure.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Frustrated protesters interviewed by CBC and CTV who were earlier calling "Hold the line", asked for their "voice to be heard". The last few protesters said without evidence, that the protest was legal, citing, but misunderstanding Canadian law. CBC News on the front lines reported protesters in the red zone, who could leave but choose to stay and be arrested. There were 70 arrests and 21 vehicles were removed by mid-afternoon. CBC's senior defence writer, Murray Brewster, described the police operation as professional, methodical, and tactical. Police did not prevent truckers or individual protesters from driving or walking away for most of the day. They may face charges later.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Police used a minimal amount of force even late in the afternoon as members of different forces began "squeezing" the group of protesters "even tighter" on Wellington Street in front of Parliament. They were not wearing shields or using pepper spray or tear gas, as they wanted protesters to leave, as opposed to arresting them, according to Bordeleau. As waiting long lines tow trucks, brought in by the police, replaced the heavy rigs that had been grid-locking Ottawa downtown, some of tow truck company names were hidden. CBC reported that tow truck companies who had previously refused to tow protesters' vehicles, have been forced through the "Emergencies Act" to comply with orders. Bordeleau also said that the Emergencies Act had allowed police to set up 100 checkpoints around the city of Ottawa to prevent protester back-filling and to prevent pop-up protests. In response to those who contrasted the February 18 coordinated successful response to the OPS inaction in previous weeks, Carol Anne Meehan, an Ottawa City Councillor, said that the OPS had been severely under-resourced until the "Emergencies Act" was invoked.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 19, police began with a "hard, fast push" towards to the encampment at Parliament Hill. Due to the resistance of protesters, police wore helmets and batons for protection. At one point, a smoke device was released by protesters. By early afternoon, more than 140 people had been arrested and dozens of vehicles had been seized. During the question period of the OPS press conference, Chief Bell confirmed that security forces have been gathering intelligence using videos, and that they will be actively pursuing people who have been filmed. The police will actively follow up with identifications, collect evidence, seek criminal charges with sanctions can include the financial level and licensing level.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: As of February 10, there was general agreement by government and police that vigorous efforts to clear the blockades were dangerous, possibly leading to expanded or violent reactions. A variety of options were legally possible and some, such as issuing tickets, were employed. Tow-truck drivers in several locations declined to tow trucks.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on February 3, declared his reluctance to employ the military to clear the protesters, saying he had received no formal request for military assistance and added, "One has to be very, very cautious before deploying military in situations engaging Canadians," saying it's not something to "enter into lightly".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 11, the court injunction to clear protesters from the Ambassador Bridge, secured by the City of Windsor, went into effect at 7 pm. Prime Minister Trudeau and United States President Joe Biden met virtually to discuss the dissolution of cross-border blockades. Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in the province. Heavy fines of up to $100,000 and up to a year of imprisonment were introduced for offences such as blocking or impeding the movement of goods, people, and services along critical roads and bridges in the province, including "international border crossings, 400-series highways, airports, ports, bridges and railways". Penalties include revoking personal and commercial drivers' licences.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 17, police massed at a staging area in Ottawa. A 12 foot-high fence was constructed around the Parliament building and over 100 checkpoints limited access to the protest area. OC Transpo transit stations in the downtown were also closed.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Convoy organizers Chris Barber and Tamara Lich were arrested in separate instances, and Lich stated that her personal bank account had been frozen. Several other people were arrested after ignoring multiple orders to leave the area. Pat King, another convoy organizer, was arrested by police on February 18.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: That same day, police made at least 70 arrests and towed 21 vehicles by mid-afternoon. The police operation consisted of an initial wave of horse-mounted police officers, and other officers on foot wearing high-visibility jackets, followed by tactical teams in green-camouflage gear, and then officers in light armoured vehicles and on horseback bringing up the rear. In at least one case, officers broke the a truck's window to reach its occupant, who refused to exit their vehicle. Police also removed children from the site, citing a fear for their safety during the operation.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: A protester was arrested and charged for allegedly throwing a bicycle and hitting the legs of a horse from the Toronto Police Service Mounted Unit at about 5:30. In the ensuing skirmish, some pepper spray was used. Ottawa Police reported that several officers and horses had been assaulted by demonstrators while attempting to clear the red zone, and over 100 people had been arrested by the evening of February 18. In the afternoon of February 19, police were present in force and were mopping up the area. By late afternoon, the last large group of protesters was corralled near the corner of Bank and Sparks Streets, with police holding a line for several hours as the crowd swelled to approximately 1,000 by dusk and a street party (with an impromptu DJ) ensued. After nightfall, the line of police unexpectedly advanced on the celebratory crowd, pushing it a block south to Queen Street, spraying pepper gas as they did so. Fencing was erected afterwards, and the crowd gradually dispersed over the course of the night. In total, 170 people had been arrested and a few dozen trucks towed. Protest leaders advised leaving the area and were asking for permission to do so. Pepper gas had been used; one police officer suffered a minor injury.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson described the situation as "the most serious emergency our city has ever faced".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 11, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in the province. On the same day, Ontario Superior Court granted an injunction to remove protesters from the Ambassador Bridge. The injunction was sought by multiple industry groups affected by the blockade including the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 14, Trudeau invoked the "Emergencies Act". The Act gave police extraordinary powers to "end border blockades and the occupation of downtown Ottawa by so-called “Freedom Convoy” protesters." Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said that under the "Act", protesters' "trucks can be seized, their corporate accounts frozen and vehicle insurance suspended". While Trudeau insisted that the military would not be deployed, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair did not rule out deployment, and called the lack of enforcement by Ottawa Police "inexplicable". The "Emergencies Act" replaced the former "War Measures Act", which was famously invoked by Trudeau's father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, to deploy the Canadian Forces against a violent separatist group during the 1970 October Crisis. This was the first time the act had been invoked since its 1988 inception.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Canadian Civil Liberties Association criticized the invocation of the Act in a press release, saying, "The federal government has not met the threshold necessary to invoke the "Emergencies Act". This law creates a high and clear standard for good reason: the Act allows government to bypass ordinary democratic processes. This standard has not been met." In the same press release, the CCLA stated that the normalization of emergency legislation, "threatens our democracy and our civil liberties." On February 17, the CCLA announced it was suing the federal government over the Act's invocation, stating that the "Emergencies Act" must be reserved for national emergencies, which they argued was a "legal standard that has not been met."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: After the invocation of the Act, Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance announced that the purview of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada was expanded to include the monitoring of funds sent through crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe, where protestors had raised millions that were ultimately refunded, as well as payment providers formerly outside its scope. Freeland specifically cited cryptocurrency transactions, which the protestors turned to after GoFundMe, as a type of digital transaction that the new measures were meant to cover. Canadian banks were also temporarily given the authority to freeze accounts suspected of being used to support the protests without the need to obtain court orders, were granted legal immunity if they chose to do so, and were allowed to more freely share information with law enforcement and government agencies.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 21, the House of Commons voted to confirm the "Emergencies Act", with 185 for and 151 opposing the motion. On February 23, Trudeau told a press conference that he would lift the "Emergencies Act" at 5:00 p.m. He warned that any violations of law during the emergency would be investigated.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Beginning February 5, protesters attempted to blockade the Pacific Highway Border Crossing between Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Protesters returned on February 12, where a police barricade was set up. A convoy led by a privately owned vehicle painted in military style broke through the police barricades, and the border crossing was subsequently closed.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Beginning February 10, a blockade closed off the Pembina–Emerson Border Crossing in Emerson, Manitoba.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Through RCMP negotiating, protesters voluntarily left the blockade on February 16 and the border crossing was reopened.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 4, 2022, some vehicles and tractors arrived outside the Royal Ontario Museum on Avenue Road north of Queen's Park in Toronto. Also on February 4, Toronto Police started closing roads in the downtown in anticipation of a large protest and told residents to expect a larger police presence during the weekend.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 5, truckers, tractor drivers, and protesters arrived in Queen's Park to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates. In response, a group of healthcare workers staged a counter-protest. Protest activity later moved north to Bloor Street and later to the intersection of Bloor Street West and Avenue Road. Hundreds of protesters and several trucks blocked the intersection for hours. Long stretches of major arterial roads, including University Avenue, College Street, and Yonge Street, were shut down. Fearing possible threats against healthcare workers, University Health Network and Sinai Health System, which operate major hospitals in the protest area, warned their employees to avoid wearing any clothing or badges that would identify them as health-care workers outside hospital premises.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: During the protest, a 22-year-old man was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon, use of a smoke bomb (administering a noxious substance), and public mischief. A second man was arrested for assault with a weapon after throwing feces at another person.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 5, at a related protest in downtown Winnipeg, four people were injured in a ramming incident. One was hospitalized and later released. As of


title: Canada convoy protest

text: February 7, protests were on their fourth day. Police have yet to write tickets or lay charges against protesters, despite numerous noise complaints, fireworks without permit, and incidents of "homophobia, racism, and gender-based harassment."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: A protest targeting the New Brunswick Legislature in Fredericton began on Friday, February 11. Fredericton Police established checkpoints leading into the city's downtown, and refused entry to any large truck without a valid manifest. A group of about 300 protesters gathered at the New Brunswick Legislative Building, growing to a peak of 700 by Saturday. By Sunday afternoon, police reported that about 70 protesters remained in the city, and that there had been three arrests related to the protest, and numerous tickets issued for traffic and city bylaw infractions.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On January 30, the Government of Nova Scotia made it illegal for people to gather on Highway 104 along the border with New Brunswick in anticipation of protesters blockading the highway. On February 6, hundreds of vehicles drove through Halifax as part of the "Freedom Convoy". On February 12, hundreds of people from around Nova Scotia travelled to Halifax to protest. The Halifax Regional Police blocked off access to some roads in downtown Halifax in response to the protest.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Protestors gathered in Edmonton for three consecutive Saturdays, and an Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice granted an interim injunction on February 11, 2022, prohibiting protest participants from causing incessant sound with horns and megaphones within city limits. Edmonton Police Service (EPS) was criticized by City Councilor Michael Janz for taking stronger enforcement measures against a counter protest than it did with the main protest. According to EPS, the responses varied as they tried to protect public and officer safety, and keep traffic moving.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Truckers and protesters have gathered in Oakville, Mississauga, Vaughan, other parts of the Greater Toronto Area, Orangeville, Quebec City, Calgary, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Kelowna, Regina, and Victoria. A convoy in Charlottetown attracted hundreds of protesters on February 12, mostly driving personal vehicles and farm equipment.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Freedom Convoy also inspired several Facebook and Telegram groups organizing similar protests in 34 countries including Argentina, Austria, Cyprus, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. As is the case in Canada, demonstrations were partly supported by local far-right groups; in Finland by members of neo-fascist Blue-and-Black Movement, Soldiers of Odin and Power Belongs to the People, and in Germany by the Reichsbürger movement and Alternative for Germany.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: In February 2022, a solidarity protest was organized in the United Kingdom with a convoy driving from Scotland to London with stops in cities throughout the British isles. Other convoys were reported in Wales and parts of England.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Officials in Paris and Brussels banned protests relating to the Freedom Convoy, following information from organizers of a similar event opposed to France's Health Pass, "le Convoi de la Liberté", that five convoys from across France were due to reach Paris between February 11 and 14. French Police used tear gas to disperse protesters, in addition to intercepting hundreds of vehicles and issuing hundreds of fines to those participating in the convoy.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 23, a group of American truckers began a solidarity protest convoy from California to Washington, D.C. called the "People's Convoy". In response, The Pentagon approved the deployment of 700 unarmed National Guard troops to D.C. In early March, a demonstration was held by convoy protesters in D.C. near the Washington Monument, but only a small number of people attended. One convoy called the "US Freedom Convoy" was scheduled to arrive in D.C. on March 1, but disbanded when only five trucks arrived in Las Vegas from Los Angeles. Also in early March, more than 1,000 large trucks, recreational vehicles and cars gathered in the outskirts of D.C. as part of the "People's Convoy" protest. A website for the protest said that they will not enter "D.C. proper". However, one participant who described himself as the lead trucker said that he would drive his truck into the city. After three weeks of protesting, on March 27, People's Convoy co-organizer Mike Landis announced that the convoy would leave D.C. and drive back to California. On May 20, 2022, the People's Convoy disbanded and declared "victory" despite never reentering D.C. as planned. Several smaller splinter groups formed in the aftermath of the disbandment, such as the 1776 Restoration Movement.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: A motorcycle convoy of "hundreds" is scheduled to enter Ottawa on April 29. The group's route intends to stop at the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill. Looking to avoid of a repeat of the previous convoy, Ottawa Police announced that vehicles would not be allowed near the Hill. Ottawa Police are to be joined by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police, and various municipal police services. Up to 831 RCMP are available as special constables.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Royal Canadian Legion distanced itself from the protest, stating in part "The Legion defends these sacred sites of Remembrance, and asserts that they should never be used as a backdrop for any other agenda beyond the act of Remembrance. Our hope and appeal to all who may gather before the National War Memorial this weekend is that they do so with a focus purely on Remembrance."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: A large crowd gathered on Rideau Street in the evening, in front of Rideau Centre. After an escalation of crowd aggression, police with helmets and shields were deployed. An attempted to occupy a parking lot was overturned. In total, seven people were arrested on the first evening. A professor who studies the dynamics of protests counted less than a thousand people at the rally, including police and journalists. A counter protest, described as an "unwelcoming party", was held by locals at Strathcona Park.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Saturday's planned events include a rally at Parliament Hill featuring COVID-19 conspiracy theorist Christopher Saccoccia, widely referred to as Chris Sky. Rolling Thunder's organizer, Neil Sheard, has attempted to distance himself from Saccoccia. Another group, "Ottawa Unity Chain," intends to form a human chain. It claims to have collaborated with Sheard's group.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The House of Commons committee structure lent itself to ongoing investigations, in the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (FINA) and the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) and the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC).


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Early in March 2022, a Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency (DEDC) of the Senate and the House of Commons was struck to investigate the events associated with it.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The FINA committee had its first session on the "Invocation of the Emergency Act and Related Measures" on February 22 and, as of April 28, had elicited testimony from 22 witnesses over seven hearings.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: As early as February 10, before the protest ended, the SECU committee devoted two sessions to the "Crowdfunding Platforms and Extremism Financing" investigation, and interviewed 17 witnesses in the "Occupation of Ottawa and the Federal Government's Response to Convoy Blockades" segment.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 25, in sworn witness testimony to the SECU committee, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, in answer to the Shadow Minister for Public Safety Raquel Dancho, stated that "I would just point out that from the very outset of the illegal blockade, that a number of organizers and leaders of the so-called Freedom Convoy made a number of profoundly concerning and extremist statements calling for the overthrow of the government through violence."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On March 24, the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police Thomas Carrique stated in sworn testimony before the committee that "the province's intelligence bureau identified a threat associated with the lengthy protest in the national capital on February 7, one week before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act...that the Freedom Convoy blockades were a provincial and national emergency" and that the "situation and the associated events simultaneously taking place across Canada required unprecedented national collaboration to prevent injury, preserve life and protect critical infrastructure."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On May 19, Shadow Minister for Emergency Preparedness Dane Lloyd asked Minister for Public Safety Marco Mendicino about the need for the invocation of the Emergencies Act and elicited the comment that the latter "stands by previous statements that the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act on the recommendation of law enforcement officials." The "previous statements" were in witness testimony that Mendicino made at a SECU committee hearing in April, to wit that the government "invoked the act because it was the advice of non-partisan professional law enforcement that the existing authorities were ineffective at the time to restore public safety."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On May 17, the PROC committee heard sworn testimony from interim Ottawa police chief Steve Bell that at no time did he request the invocation of the Emergencies Act from the Trudeau government.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Early on in the life of the DECD committee its NDP co-chair, Matthew Green, said that committee members "have a 'responsibility' to work together" in light of the disagreement of the Official Opposition over the constitution of the committee. It consisted of seven MPs and four senators. On March 6, co-chair Green was "interested in looking at the actions of police (or the lack of them), the role played by 'dark money' raised through" the GoFundMe and GiveSendGo crowdfunding platforms. The Senate co-chair (one of three), Gwen Boniface, was the OPP commissioner from 1998 until 2006.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On May 11, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki stated under oath to the DECD committee that "while her agency was consulted, it never requested nor recommended the [Emergency Act]'s use".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On April 25, Trudeau announced the establishment of the Public Order Emergency Commission, an independent inquiry into the invocation of the "Emergencies Act" headed by Justice Paul Rouleau. The inquiry is independent of the parliamentary review committee. By law, the inquiry must complete its report and submit it to Parliament by February 20, 2023. The inquiry was scheduled initially to start on September 19, 2022, and run until October 28, 2022. Due to Justice Rouleau undergoing surgery to address a health issue, it is now expected to complete its public hearings on November 25, 2022.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: A government press release said it is hoped investigations will "prevent these events from happening again". Conservatives said the investigations are too focused on the actions of protesters and their fundraising, and not on justifying the use of the "Emergencies Act" or determining whether it was appropriate for it to have been invoked.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 15, there were reports that the blockage of the Ambassador Bridge could result in and costs to the automobile industry representing approximately US$1.2 billion in the economies of both the United States and Canada.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Director of the University of Waterloo's Cross Border Institute stated to "CBC News" that the economic loss from the Ambassador Bridge blockade was between $3 billion and $6 billion. Every day, vehicles and auto parts valued at approximately US$141.1 million flow across the Bridge. Major auto manufacturers were forced to pause production; "automakers and their suppliers" were having to "scramble to get parts to plants on time" for the current week's run. A previous estimate by BBC on February 12 said that the estimated total cost to the automobile industry was about US$600 million (c. CA$763 million). Experts say that the economic effects will be "felt by the auto industry and others for weeks". The demand for vehicles is strong even with prices at record highs, but dealers' lots remain empty.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Reuters reported citing IHS Markit's data that the "estimated loss" by February 14 "to the auto industry alone could be as high as $850 million."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Twenty-five per cent of the value of "all U.S.-Canada goods trade" pass over the Ambassador Bridge dailyapproximately $360 million in both directions a day.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: During the first week alone, businesses in the downtown Ottawa, including the city's busiest and largest shopping mall, the Rideau Centre, lost nearly CA$20 million in the first week alone, according to the Retail Council of Canada.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Canadian economist Armine Yalnizyan estimated losses such as workers' wagesCA$11 million a day for a total of $264 millionas well as other costs that Canadian taxpayers would have to pay for damages caused by the "Ottawa occupation". The estimated loss of sales at the Rideau Centre$3 million a day according to the Retail Council of Canadaamounts to a total of $72 million. Over 50 per cent of the 235 businesses in the area that was blockaded lost revenue. Taxpayers will pay for the $300 a week for those workers who are eligible for the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit. They will also pay for the $20 million the federal government will provide to local businesses who lost revenues. The $2.5 million for Ottawa LRT free public transit will be paid by taxpayers, as will the millions of dollars for extra police reinforcements. Yalnizyan also noted the "incalculable damage" to Canada's international reputation as a trade partner which could have a negative impact on supply chains and "political discourse." She did not include the cost to those who lived in the neighbourhoods most impacted, who could not leave their homes and in some cases were "unable to sleep or access clean air or, at times, even food." As well, other communities and neighbourhoods had to live with a reduced police force and therefore reduced safety, as officers were seconded to Ottawa's downtown core.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) initially claimed that every day protests were ongoing was costing CA$800,000. Consistent with earlier estimates, Ottawa Police Services Board announced on February 15 that the cost was around $785,000 per day, resulting in an estimated $14.1 million over the course of 18 days. According to Mayor Watson, the Chief of Police's request for 1,800 additional officers could increase the cost to $2.5 million daily. In comparison, by February 8, the cost of the truck convoy had already eclipsed the $620,000 in average policing costs for Ottawa's annual Canada Day celebrations. In addition to policing costs, by February 7, the convoy cost an additional $1 million in other city services.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The closure began January 29, with the mall reopening on February 22. An imitation firearm in the mall resulted in a police-led evacuation, multiple hour closure, and closure of the O-Train at nearby stations.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Based on a class-action lawsuit against organizers, lawyer Paul Champ estimated that lost wages and revenue in the downtown core totalled at least $CA306 million. Efforts to fundraise for affected charities includes one called "Make Ottawa Boring Again."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: According to a February 3 CTV News report, the economic loss of the Sweetgrass–Coutts Border Crossing border crossing closure was estimated at CA$220 million. Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters estimated on February 3, that $44 million in daily cross-border trade was affected by the blockade at the border crossing that averages CA$15.9 billion annually in two-way trade.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Alberta RCMP tried to negotiate with the protesters blocking access to the Coutts border crossing. Police attempted to clear the blockade on February 2, 2022, by blocking access to the protest site and ordering participants to leave or face arrest. The operation was halted due to safety concerns, after multiple vehicles drove around the police barricades to reach the border blockade, travelled on the wrong side of the highway, and two vehicles collided. A local resident alleged that her SUV was hit by one of these vehicles while she and her family were attempting to get groceries. Someone from the other vehicle punched the resident's husband, who received stitches as a result. The RCMP began a new operation to clear the blockade, after discovering and seizing a substantial cache of guns and armour on February 14. There were 13 arrests on February 14 in relation to this seizure. The border crossing fully re-opened on February 15, after protest participants agreed to leave peacefully.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The economic loss caused by the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit, due to initial delays, was estimated at US$50 million per day when border crossing was still open but at a standstill, according to a February 9 "Guardian" article.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: BBC reported on February 12 that due to rerouting to other border crossings, that the estimated total cost to the automobile industry was calculated at approximately US$600 million (c. CA$763 million). According to the United States State Department Ambassador Bridge website, there is US$323 million worth of goods crossing it daily; with 10,000 commercial vehicles crossing each week day; and US$1.7 billion in total "value in trade between Canada and the US every day."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The blockade in Emerson, Manitoba, was estimated to be causing CA$70–73 million in economic loss each day.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: In response to criticism that police had been too soft on "disruptive protesters", on February 1, Chief Sloly said that it was a "measure of success" that there were "no riots, no injuries, no deaths". By February 4, Ottawa Police's response to the protests and later encampments of lingering protesters drew criticism from local residents. Complaints focused around lack of enforcement on noise due to constant horn-honking, disruption of livelihoods and continued gridlock. Police later addressed some concerns by issuing 30 tickets on February 3.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Criticism has also focused on "the sharp contrast between the occupiers' reception and the ways police forces all over Canada treat Black and Indigenous people, who are violently policed for existing in public space, let alone protesting."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 4, Ottawa Police hired Navigator Ltd, a crisis public relations firm to aid in handling messaging to the public.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: By February 13, on Day 17, federal Minister Blair "urged the police to do their jobs, enforce the law and restore order". Police enforcement of "layers of laws, injunctions, and emergency orders already in effect" was minimal, which further "emboldened" protesters on Ottawa's downtown core.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On day 19 of the protests, February 15, Sloly resigned as Chief of the Ottawa Police Service. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announced that the RCMP and OPP would assume control of the situation in Ottawa.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 16, Ottawa city councillor Diane Deans was removed by council as chair of the Police board, in a 15–9 vote. Councillors described the board as ineffective in oversight, and were critical of the hiring of an interim chief without consultation. Hiring is something the Ontario Police Services Act allows them to do, and the choice had received support of the Ontario Solicitor General. A vote to remove councillor Carol Anne Meehan from the board failed. Councillor Rawlson King resigned from the board during the meeting. A citizen vice chair resigned earlier in the day.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Six investigators and two forensic investigators from the Special Investigations Unit are investigating two incidents involving the police. The first is an incident on Friday, at about 5:14 p.m. on Rideau Street and Mackenzie Avenue involving a Toronto Police Service officer in the mounted police unit and a 49-year-old woman, who "has a reported serious injury". There is a now-debunked but widely-spread online rumour that a woman had been trampled by a horse and killed. The family of the woman said that "she is alive and is recovering from a broken clavicle." This was also confirmed by paramedics. On "Saturday, at about 7:18 p.m. Vancouver Police Department officers discharged Anti-Riot Weapon Enfields (less-lethal firearms) at individuals in the area of Sparks Street and Bank Street".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Ottawa Police Services Board unanimously supported a motion on February 24, for the Ontario Civilian Police Commission to open an investigation into the response to the protest.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: From an access-to-information request, emails between the National Capital Commission and Ottawa Police Services revealed that law enforcement overall was hampered by poor communication, disagreement on approaches and tactics, and confusion over jurisdiction.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Active investigations are underway for a number of widely publicized incidents including those related to the Unknown Soldier's memorial and the Terry Fox statue as well as for more general incidents, including bribery, threats, assault, dangerous driving, and setting a fire in a building. An OPS hotline has been set up where victims can report crimes, including hate crimes.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Chief Sloly warned offenders that if they had come from elsewhere and committed a crime, including hate crime in Ottawa, there have been "intelligence officers, investigative officers, and multi-jurisdictional support" from across Canada at work in the background. He said, that "no matter where you live, no matter where your vehicles are registered ... You will be investigated ... We will look for you. We will charge you, if necessary, will arrest you, and we will pursue prosecutions against you."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On March 21, a 21-year-old Ottawa man unrelated to the protest was charged in connection with the fire. On April 6, a 41-year-old Ottawa man, also unrelated to the protest, was similarly charged.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 4, 2022, Ottawa human rights lawyer Paul Champ filed a $9.8 million class action lawsuit against Chris Barber, Benjamin Ditcher, Tamara Lich, Patrick King and others as organizers of the Freedom Convoy on behalf of downtown Ottawa residents over continuous air horn and train horn noise. The lawsuit is seeking $4.8 million for "private nuisance" and $5 million in punitive damages. In response to the suit, convoy organizers agreed to cease horn noise until 1:00 p.m. on February 6. Many protesters ignored the agreement.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The lawsuit went to court on the afternoon of February 5 and a hearing was adjourned to February 7. On February 6, Champ posted an ultimatum to protesters in Ottawa that they would be released from the lawsuit if they left Ottawa by 10:00 a.m. EST on February 7.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 7, Ontario Superior Court of Justice Hugh McLean issued a 10-day injunction on vehicles from honking their horns in downtown Ottawa.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: By February 17, the claim had expanded to include a class of businesses and was then at $CDN306 million. Union 613 and Happy Goat Coffee were added as plaintiffs.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 18, as part of a class-action civil suit against the Freedom Convoy organizers, an Ontario Superior Court judge has frozen as much as CA$20 million under a Mareva order that targets cryptocurrency, raised for the convoy protests in Ottawa. Paul Champ is the lawyer for the plaintiffs, residents of downtown Ottawa. The Mareva injunction, is separate from the federal government’s efforts to work with banks to have accounts frozen. The injunction freezes convoy donations which could eventually be redistributed to residents who are including in the suit.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, dismissed the supply chain disruption concerns as unfounded on the basis that most Canadian truckers have been vaccinated. On January 31, Trudeau called the protests an "insult to truth", saying that "we are not intimidated by those who hurl abuse at small business workers and steal food from the homeless" and "We won't give in to those who fly racist flags. We won't cave to those who engage in vandalism, or dishonour the memory of our veterans."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Transport, said on January 31, that since January 15 when the truck drivers' vaccine mandate came into effect, the traffic volumes of transport trucks crossing the Canada-US border had not decreased. Compared to the fall of 2021, and based on Statistics Canada's most recent figures, even with a "massive snowstorm, even though it was a U.S. holiday, we had almost 100,000 truckers cross the border". On CTV's January 30 Question Period he said that some voices in the crowd of protestors are "really disturbing and unacceptable" and "must be condemned"; this included those carrying signs with swastikas and Confederate flags, and those who called for the overthrow of the government. On January 24, he described them as a "small number of far-right, vocal opposition that is polluting" the debate surrounding vaccine mandates.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Erin O'Toole, Leader of the Official Opposition and the Conservative Party as the convoys started, initially declined to support the protest, saying instead that the best way to maintain supply chains is for truckers to get vaccinated. O'Toole then later said he would meet with the protesters, but would not participate in nor attend their demonstration in Ottawa. O'Toole tweeted "I support their right to be heard, and I call on Justin Trudeau to meet with these hard-working Canadians to hear their concerns". O'Toole, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, later condemned the protesters for desecrating the war memorials on Parliament Hill. O'Toole was ousted on a leadership review on February 2, some party members citing his policy reversals on issues such as his support for the protest.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Conservative MPs Candice Bergen, Andrew Scheer, Garnett Genuis, Pierre Poilievre, Martin Shields, Warren Steinley, Jeremy Patzer, and Leslyn Lewis all expressed their support for the convoy and truckers' movement, although some, such as Poilievre, denounced individual protesters who were promoting extremism. Damien Kurek and Michael Cooper attended the rally, serving food. Cooper was further interviewed on television. A person in behind Cooper had an upside-down Canadian flag with a swastika; Cooper says that he was unaware. Bergen, who became interim Conservative leader after Erin O'Toole's ouster, has privately advocated against dispersing protesters, and insisted in the House that Trudeau extend an "olive branch". Before O'Toole was removed from the Conservative leadership, Bergen had implored him to support the protestors, saying that "there were good people on both sides", which has been described by writers as an echo of the phrase made by Donald Trump in regards to the Unite the Right rally in 2017.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 10, as a third border blockade began in Manitoba, the Conservatives reversed their position supporting the border blockades. Bergen called for the blockades to disperse, "for the sake of the economy", but vowed to continue pushing the governing Liberals to release a clear plan for ending COVID-19 restrictions.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: During debate on the "Emergencies Act", Conservative Members of Parliament dismissed the convoy; deputy whip Lianne Rood called it joyful, and compared it to Canada Day. Conservative Member Michael Cooper called a Liberal Member "a despicable human being".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier, Ontario Party Leader Derek Sloan, and independent Ontario MPP Randy Hillier expressed support for the convoy protests. The People's Party organized a rally in Waterloo on January 23 supporting the convoy, at which Bernier and Hillier both spoke. Bernier also attended the January 29 event at Parliament Hill, criticizing Erin O'Toole for not attending. Hillier would later speak at the convoy, stating "this is the hill we die on." Hillier also spoke on Russia Today about the convoy, and later tweeted "Russia news provides a platform for objective journalism where Canadian msm [sic] creates fabrications".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Other Canadian politicians—including Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, and Ottawa City Councillor Catherine McKenney—described the protests as extremist. Mayor of Port Coquitlam Brad West condemned the defacing of Fox's statue during the protest. Premier of Ontario Doug Ford called the protest in Ottawa "an illegal occupation" and called for an end to the protests.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On January 29, Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe issued a letter in support of the protest. Although repeatedly encouraging vaccination, Moe argued that it would only reduce the chance of severe outcomes, and did not prevent infection or transmission of COVID-19—a statement that was subsequently disputed—and for that reason he did not support the cross-border vaccine mandate, and would lift proof of vaccination requirements in Saskatchewan "in the not too-distant future".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Members of Parliament reported an increase in inappropriate and threatening calls to their offices, in correlation with the protests.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Multiple Republican politicians and media figures endorsed the Freedom Convoy including US Senators Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, and Rand Paul, US Representatives Jim Banks, Dan Bishop, Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck, Madison Cawthorn, Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, Chip Roy, Steve Scalise, Governor Ron DeSantis, Kay Ivey, former US President Donald Trump, former Governor Mike Huckabee, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, TV personalities Donald Trump Jr., Lara Trump, and singer Ted Nugent. Fox News' personalities Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham expressed support for the protestors in broadcasts.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Former United States Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman criticized American groups' support and funding of the protests.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 10, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas contacted their Canadian counterparts, recommended the use of Canadian federal powers, and offered the support of the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stated of the convoy, "It's hitting pay checks and production lines. That is unacceptable."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 11, President Joe Biden met virtually with Prime Minister Trudeau to discuss the resolution of cross-border blockades.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: According to CBC News, "While the Democrats and the White House said almost nothing about Trudeau invoking the Emergencies Act, the Republican ecosystem sprouted thickets of indignation." Carlson called Trudeau "Canadian dictator Justin Trudeau" and ran the headline: "Trudeau has declared Canada a dictatorship."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Facebook stated that they had removed fake users that were set up in overseas content farms, in Romania, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, which were promoting the convoy protests in Canada. After this announcement, New York Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney questioned Facebook as to the number of the accounts, when they were identified and how many impressions they had on US and Canadian users, comparing it to Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. In a letter to Zuckerberg, Maloney cited that "One Bangladeshi firm was responsible for attracting more than 170,000 members to some of the largest 'Freedom Convoy' organizing groups on Facebook."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: After Ottawa was cleared, conservative commentator Candace Owens called for American troops to be sent to Canada "to deal with the tyrannical reign of Justin Trudeau Castro." Alt-right personality Mike Cernovich described Trudeau as a fascist.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: In their February 7 statement, Teamsters Canada, representing more than 55,000 professional drivers, including approximately 15,000 long-haul truck drivers, of whom 90 per cent are vaccinated, said that the protest "serves to delegitimize the real concerns of most truck drivers today". The statement said that the convoy and "the despicable display of hate led by the political right and shamefully encouraged by elected conservative politicians does not reflect the values of Teamsters Canada."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On January 25, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), a truckers' trade association, and the federal government issued a formal statement reinforcing the use of vaccinations, along with other public health measures, to protect Canadian health care and to reduce COVID-19 risk. In the statement the CTA and the government committed to working together to respond to supply chain constraints. A January 29 CTA statement cautioned the public that a "great number of protestors" have no connection to the trucking industry and "have a separate agenda beyond a disagreement over cross border vaccine requirements". CTA's January 22 statement had announced that they do "not support support and strongly disapprove of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges" and the disruption of the "motoring public on highways and commerce at the border". CTA members can express their disagreement with government policies by holding an "organized, lawful event on Parliament Hill". Stephen Laskowski, CTA president said the trucking industry "must adapt and comply with this mandate".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada noted concern about the convoy's "racist remarks", citing the comparisons to Nazis and communism. The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association and the British Columbia Trucking Association both criticized the protest.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Canadian Labour Congress called the protest in Ottawa "an occupation by an angry mob trying to disguise itself as a peaceful protest".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Various trucking companies have tried to distance themselves from the convoys, claiming that the vehicles are owner-operated, despite featuring their logos.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: According to "The New York Times", "In an increasingly polarized political environment, the Canadian truckers became an instant cause célèbre." In late January, CBC host Nil Köksal pondered that "there is concern that Russian actors could be continuing to fuel things as this protest grows. But perhaps even instigating it from, from the outset". However, in October 2022, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said that no foreign actors had funded or supported the convoy protests.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: According to Local Journalism Initiative, ethnic media outlets exhibited a variety of reporting and reactions to the protests. OMNI Punjabi highlighted the Punjabi truckers who were stuck on the US side of the border for days. Additionally, reporting noted that "most Punjabi truckers are vaccinated, as vaccine coverage in the Punjabi community is high. Their priorities are around road safety, snow clearance, road maintenance, as well as working conditions and wage theft."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Rich Lowry of "Politico" argued that "The embrace of the Canadian trucker protesters by the American right is a sign that the Tea Party spirit circa the early Obama years was never fully extinguished. Since then, everything has changed — most importantly, the rise of Donald Trump and his movement — and nothing has changed. It is freedom that remains the most natural and powerful Republican rallying cry."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Canadian scholar Peter McLaren criticized the convoy protesters' "concept of freedom" as "sorely lacking in dialectical analysis.", arguing that "They often limited their analysis to the blanket assertion that 'freedom' means the right to say no to any government restrictions on vaccinations, especially those impeding their ability to cross national borders, in this case, crossing freely between Canada and the United States". McLaren also argued that their concept of freedom "is historically linked to settler colonialism, that is, a form of colonialism grounded in exogenous domination, a form of colonialism that seeks to displace the original population of the colonized territory with new groups of settlers who typically justify such colonization through an identification with imperial authority."


title: Canada convoy protest

text: General Wayne Eyre, Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, said he was "sickened to see protesters dance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrate the National War Memorial", after video of such events surfaced online January 29.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: In late January 2022, Elon Musk tweeted "Canadian truckers rule" and followed it up with "If you scare people enough, they will demand removal of freedom. This is the path to tyranny." Musk also tweeted "If Canadian government is suppressing peaceful protests, that's where fascism lies." On February 17, Musk tweeted a meme comparing Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler, using a meme sympathetic to Hitler. The tweet was later deleted. Musk had previously tweeted a meme on January 30 making fun of people who invoke Hitler during political discussions, saying "Everyone I Don't Like is Hitler…A child's guide to online political discussion." The American Jewish Committee condemned Musk's tweet and demanded an apology from him. The Auschwitz Memorial also condemned Musk's tweet.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Barry Prentice, transportation economy professor at University of Manitoba, stated that the truckers should be treated differently than flight crews or passenger-train employees, and that the positive aspects of vaccine mandates should be evaluated against the disruptions they would cause to the freight industry. English comedian Russell Brand released a video decrying the media for ignoring reporting on the protest. Brand also said in the video that "Truckers, who were previously regarded as heroes when they were delivering vital goods and working during the lockdown, are now villains as they protest vaccine mandates". Krista Haynes, daughter of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and active anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine campaigner, attended a rally in support of the truckers as they headed to Ottawa.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Former President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadenijad, praised the protests, tweeting "violent crackdown on #FreedomConvoy2022 has nothing to do with freedom of speech and human rights. How coercion could be related to liberty & freedom of choice?" signing off with "#TruckersForFreedom".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: According to the "Washington Examiner", psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson offered a "message of congratulations and caution" to the convoy.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Royal Canadian Legion called protesters dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier "shocking" and "strongly condemn[ed]" their actions. On February 12, as a convoy passed through Charlottetown, a lone veteran stood guard at the cenotaph outside Province House to prevent the same disrespect of the monument.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies denounced the use of Nazi symbols by some of the protesters.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms provides legal support of the convoy and its contacts with media.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: On February 12, Facebook removed anti-vaccine, pro-convoy Facebook groups that were run from Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Romania.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Singer and activist Bill Fries, whose song "Convoy" (recorded under his alias C. W. McCall) was used as a rallying cry for the movement, gave his implicit approval for the use of the song in that manner, and was pleased that the movement had caused an uptick in interest in the song, in the final interview he gave before he died.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Durham Regional Police Service Constable Erin Howard, who made a video while in uniform in her squad car supporting the protesters and later posted it online in January, was suspended and faced six charges under the Police Services Act, including discreditable conduct and insubordination. Her first court hearing was held over Zoom on May 5, 2022, with the proceeding then being adjourned until June 2022.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: Some members of the political left were initially hesitant to criticize the convoy because "the truckers were often described as a working-class movement".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: In a Abacus Data survey of 1,410 Canadian adults, undertaken before the protest turned into an occupation, between January 31 and February 2, 2022, 68 per cent stated that they "had very little in common" with the demonstrators and their ideology and 32 per cent of respondents stated that they "had a lot in common" with the protestors and their worldview. Furthermore, 43 per cent of respondents stated that they felt the protest was "respectful and appropriate", while 57 per cent viewed it as "offensive and inappropriate".


title: Canada convoy protest

text: A study by "Vox Pop Labs" among a randomly pre-selected sample of 2,339 respondents, conducted between January 4 and 10, 2022, found that around 70 per cent of Canadians were willing to support a general vaccine mandate for all non-exempt adults over the age of 18, while around 30 per cent disagreed.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: A routine political poll by Léger in Canada questioned respondents on the protest between February 4 and 6, 2022, and found that it was opposed by 62 per cent of respondents, with 47 per cent strongly opposing it. 32 per cent supported it, while 7 per cent were unsure. On its subsequent questionnaire, a further 65 per cent expressed the belief that the convoy represented "a small minority of selfish Canadians," 57 per cent viewed it as "not about vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions" but rather "an opportunity for right wing supremacist groups to rally and voice their frustrations about society," and 52 per cent likened it to the 2021 United States Capitol attack. Opposition to the convoy was highest among respondents living in urban areas, those vaccinated for COVID-19, and those aged 55 and up; while support for the convoy was highest among the unvaccinated, respondents aged 18 to 54, and respondents living in Alberta.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: A poll by Maru Public Opinion found that 64 per cent of Canadians polled would support the aid of the Canadian Armed Forces to tow trucks from the protests and 53 per cent of Canadians polled would support the use of force by Ottawa Police to clear out Ottawa protesters.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: An Angus Reid Institute poll released on February 14 found that 72 per cent of Canadians polled thought that it was time for protesters to "go home, they have made their point." The poll also found that 65 per cent polled believed Trudeau's response has worsened the situation and 42 per cent said opposition leader Candice Bergen's response has worsened the situation.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: A Nanos Research poll commissioned by CTV News and released on February 25 found that 51 per cent of Canadians polled thought the protests were ineffective, 15 per cent thought they were somewhat ineffective, 20 per cent thought they were somewhat effective, 12 per cent thought they were effective, and 2 per cent were unsure of the protests' impact.


title: Canada convoy protest

text: An Economist/YouGov poll conducted from February 12 to 15 found that 80% of Americans had heard of the convoy protests. The poll also found that 44 per cent of Americans opposed the convoy protests, while 40 per cent supported them. Among Republicans, 71 per cent supported the convoy protests, compared to 18 per cent of Democrats.


title: Hasan Akhund

text: Mohammad Hasan Akhund (born or ) is an Afghan mullah, politician and Taliban leader who is currently the acting prime minister of Afghanistan.


title: Hasan Akhund

text: Akhund is one of the founding members of the Taliban and has been a senior leading member of the movement. In the first Taliban government (1996–2001), he served as the deputy foreign minister.


title: Hasan Akhund

text: Akhund is from southern Afghanistan. According to UN Security Council data, he was born in Pashmul, which at the time of his birth was in Panjwayi District, but is now in Zhari District, in Kandahar Province of the Kingdom of Afghanistan. The UN has two estimates for his year of birth, being approximately 1945–1950 and approximately 1955–1958.


title: Hasan Akhund

text: He studied in various Islamic seminaries in Afghanistan, but not in the ones in Pakistan. Unlike many Taliban leaders, Akhund did not participate in the Soviet–Afghan War.


title: Hasan Akhund

text: Akhund is one of the oldest members of the Taliban, and was a close associate of Mohammed Omar, the first leader of the movement. During the Taliban rule (1996–2001), he served as the foreign minister of Afghanistan from 1998 to 27 October 1999, and was also the deputy prime minister during their rule. Like many other senior Taliban, he is subject to United Nations sanctions related to the sheltering of terrorist groups.


title: Hasan Akhund

text: During the period of insurgency (2001–2021), Akhund was intermittently a member of the Quetta Shura. In 2013, he was the chief of the Taliban's commissions and the head of the recruitment commission.


title: Hasan Akhund

text: Following the Taliban's return to power in 2021, Akhund was appointed interim Prime Minister. His appointment was seen as a compromise between the Taliban's moderate and hardline figures. He took office on 7 September 2021.


title: Hasan Akhund

text: Akhund is the author of several works on Islam. According to "BBC News", he is more influential on the religious side of the Taliban, as opposed to the military side. A United States Institute for Peace analyst argued that he was more of a political person.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Jab Tak Hai Jaan (), also simply known as JTHJ, is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra and written and produced by his son Aditya Chopra under their banner Yash Raj Films. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. The story revolves around Samar Anand (Khan) a bomb disposal expert whose diary falls into the hands of an intern Akira Rai (Sharma); the diary recounts his time as a struggling immigrant in London, and later details his whirlwind romance with Meera Thapar (Kaif).


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Becoming Chopra's fourth film to feature Khan in the lead role, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" marked the second collaboration between Khan and Sharma as they previously featured in Yash Raj Films' "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" (2008), whereas the first between Khan and Kaif. Chopra returned to direction 8 years after "Veer-Zaara" (2004), and "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" is his final film before his death in October 2012.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Released during the six-day Diwali weekend beginning on 13 November 2012, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" received mixed reviews from critics and earned worldwide to emerge as one of the year's top-earning films. It became the 3rd highest-grossing Bollywood film overseas at that time after "3 Idiots" (2009) and "My Name Is Khan" (2010).


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: At the 58th Filmfare Awards, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" received 7 nominations, including Best Actor (Khan), and won 4 awards, including Best Supporting Actress (Sharma) and Best Lyricist (Gulzar for "Challa").


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Samar Anand, a major in the Indian Army, defuses a bomb without fear or regard for his safety. Akira Rai, a Discovery Channel filmmaker, later dives into Pangong Lake in Ladakh and is rescued by him. Samar gives her his jacket and leaves before retrieving it. Akira finds his diary in the jacket pocket and begins reading.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: The diary recounts Samar's earlier years as a struggling immigrant in London, working as a street musician who performs other menial jobs to support himself and his roommate Zain. Samar is working part-time as a waiter when he meets Meera at her and her fiancé Roger's engagement party. Meera grew up, motherless, in an affluent Punjabi Indian family; her mother left for another man when she was twelve. The dominant person in her life is her father, for whose company she works. Samar notices that Meera often prays when he sees her at the church. Samar and Meera befriend one another but Meera promises to God not to fall in love with Samar and tells Samar about it. As time passes by, Samar and Meera begin to fall in love after a night of wild street dancing. To face her past, Samar takes Meera to visit her estranged mother and they reconcile. Some days later Meera decides to confess to her father about her relationship with Samar and break her engagement, Samar has a serious accident on his motorbike. Meera makes another promise that since she went back on her previous words, she will never see Samar again, but prays to save his life. Samar recovers and Meera admits her vow to him. Angry, he leaves her and London. Samar challenges God to keep him alive while he risks his life every day because he believes his death is the only way to make Meera lose her faith in God. He goes to India and enlists in the army, becoming a bomb-disposal expert.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: When Akira finishes reading the diary, she obtains permission to make a documentary about a bomb-disposal squad. She asks Samar for help to make her film and becomes acquainted with him and his team. Akira develops a crush on Samar; however, he does not reciprocate because of his unresolved love for Meera. Akira makes a successful film and leaves for London. She wants Samar to visit the city to help her publicise the film; after he reluctantly agrees to come to London, he is struck by a van.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Samar is diagnosed with retrograde amnesia, and he remembers only the events before his first accident that took place in London 10 years ago. Concerned, Akira tracks Meera down and persuades her to aid in Samar's recovery. Meera agrees, pretending to be Samar's wife. In the meantime, Akira realises that Major Samar is only a fragment of the young Samar; he used to be happy and sociable but is now bitter and lonely. One day Samar finds a bomb planted in the London Underground and helps defuse it. The event jogs his memory, and he realises that Meera was lying to him. Samar confronts Meera with a choice: to be with him, or see him keep risking his life until he is dead. He then leaves for Kashmir, where he continues defusing bombs. During a conversation with Akira, Meera tells her that she never married her fiancé and realises that her beliefs and prayers subjected Samar to a fate worse than death, and as God only wants his people to be happy and spread love, he won't snatch his people's loved ones due to a broken promise or deal. Meera bids farewell to Akira and goes to Kashmir and to reunite with Samar. Samar defuses his last bomb and then proposes to her.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: In June 2011, Yash Raj Films released a statement announcing a new directorial venture by Yash Chopra coinciding with the 50th anniversary of his Bollywood career. The producers also announced that the film would be released during the Diwali 2012 weekend. Chopra said the film was untitled at that time, similar to previous project "Veer-Zaara" (2004) (which was named on the day of its submission to the Central Board of Film Certification). The producers considered a number of titles but were not satisfied with any of them. In September 2012, it was announced that the title of the film was "Jab Tak Hai Jaan". It was inspired by a similarly titled song from the 1975 film, "Sholay".


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Aditya Chopra wanted his father to make another film and approached him with the concept for "Jab Tak Hai Jaan". Shah Rukh Khan was their first choice for the role of Samar Anand, due to his long-standing relationship with the production house and the Chopra family. Khan, who was working on other projects at that time, was unavailable for the shooting schedule so it was changed. As in his previous productions, Yash wanted to introduce a fresh pairing in "JTHJ" and chose Katrina Kaif to star with Khan. Anushka Sharma was cast in a supporting role by YRF, with whom she had previously worked on "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" (2008), "Badmaash Company", "Band Baaja Baaraat" (both 2010) and "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl" (2011). Though casting was quickly completed, shooting was delayed because the lead actors were busy with other projects.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Khan's role spans two ages: one (age 28) as a London-based street musician and the other (ten years later) as an introverted, composed and dutiful army officer in Kashmir. In an interview, Khan revealed details about his character: Samar is "angry, unforgiving, with loads of emotional baggage. I play him sweet when he needs to be. Actually, he is a lot like I am. Samar is a combination of angst, tenderness, anger, and yeah, he's pretty unforgiving."


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Kaif's role was described as "the archetypal Yash Chopra seductress, an unattainable beauty". She worked hard to make her character believable (with help from Khan, who had previous experience with the director).


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Sharma's character, Akira, was described as a "21-year-old who works for the Discovery Channel and makes documentaries. She is on a quest to discover the truth behind the story of "The Man Who Cannot Die" (Samar Anand) in the film. She is extremely ambitious and will do anything to make it big and realize her dreams."


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: The film's principal photography was expected to begin in November 2011, but was delayed because Khan wanted to take a break after his two previous films, "Ra.One" and "Don 2" (both 2011). Principal photography began on 9 January 2012 at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai, where a significant part of movie was shot.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: After filming in India, the crew began a 35-day shooting schedule in London on 22 February 2012. It was shot under the working title "Production 45". Khan arrived in London on 21 February 2012, and finished filming on 26 March 2012. During the filming, photos of the actors on-set were leaked on the Internet, triggering a camera ban by the producers and increased security. A number of locations throughout the city featured in "JTHJ", including the Borough Market, Jubilee Walkway, the Great Conservatory, the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Bridge, Trafalgar Square, the Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges, the O2 Arena, the Tower Bridge, and Canary Wharf. A dance sequence was filmed next to King's College London law school in Somerset House. A car-crash scene was filmed at Shepherd's Bush by closing four streets in the area. Filming was completed on 27 March 2012 at an indoor location in East London.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: The romantic scenes were directed by Chopra's son, Aditya, to give them a more contemporary feel. The ""Ishq Shava"" dance scene was shot with the leading duo and freestyle dancers in an underground club and aboard a boat on the River Thames. The film's climax, initially planned by Chopra to be shot in the mountains of Kashmir, was moved to Ladakh. This was reportedly suggested by Khan, whose "Dil Se.." (1998) was shot in the area many years earlier. Portions of "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" were filmed in three Kashmiri cities: Srinagar, Pahalgam, and Gulmarg.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Yash wanted to add scenes from the Swiss Alps to the title song; however, the scheduled shoot was cancelled after his death. Aditya wanted to keep the film as it was because he felt that doing otherwise would "tamper" with his father's vision.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: The music for the film was composed by A. R. Rahman, who teamed up with Yash for the first time. He signed to compose the soundtrack in May 2011. The first song of the soundtrack was completed in December 2011. By February 2012, Rahman said in an interview with "The Times of India" that he had completed three songs for the film. He summarized the soundtrack album: "It's a combination. They wanted to do my kind of songs at the same time they wanted the old charm and soul of music that Indian audience would love and which I wanted to do for a long time." The soundtrack features nine songs, with eight lyrics by Gulzar and the title track written by Aditya. It was released by YRF Music on 10 October 2012.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: "JTHJ's" music proved to be popular with the songs "Ishq Shava", "Saans", "Heer" and "Jiya Re" becoming the most popular songs of the soundtrack.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" was released on 600 screens in overseas markets; the estimated number of release screens in India was about 2,500. Yash Raj Films distributed the film to 1,000 multiplexes and 1,500 single-screen cinemas. "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" was selected for the Doha Tribeca Film Festival and the Marrakech International Film Festival. It was chosen to "honour the legacy" of Yash Chopra, since it was his last project.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Two weeks before "Jab Tak Hai Jaan"s release, Ajay Devgn FFilms sent a notice to the Competition Commission of India accusing Yash Raj Films of monopolistic business practices; the notice contended that they used "their dominant position in the Bollywood film market" to secure many desirable single-screen theatres for their release. Yash Raj Films responded by saying that they were "shocked" and questioned Devgn's "motives". The studio denied Devgn's claim that high-quality single-screens were unavailable, pointing out that they had only booked 1,500 single-screens for "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" out of the 10,500 available in India. After the rebuttal by Yash Raj Films, Devgn said he only managed to book 600 single-screens for "Son of Sardaar" (2012) and would take legal action if not allotted more. He accused Yash Raj Films of signing tie-in agreements for "Ek Tha Tiger" with exhibitors, requiring them to show "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" on Diwali and keep it in cinemas for at least two weeks thereafter. A week before the release of "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" and "Son of Sardaar", the commission dismissed Devgn's claim. In an interview a commission spokesperson said: "We considered the plea application. We have not found any merit in the case as there is no case of abuse of dominant position. There is no violation." After his notice was rejected, Devgn appealed the decision; the Appellate Tribunal refused Devgn's request to nullify agreements made with single-screen exhibitors for the release of "Jab Tak Hai Jaan", but agreed to reexamine the case to determine if Yash Raj Films had engaged in monopolistic practices. Both films were released on 13 November 2012 in the number of single-screens originally contracted.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" received mixed reviews from critics. Taran Adarsh of "Bollywood Hungama" gave the film 4 (out of 5) stars, saying that it was "attention-grabbing from inception till conclusion. The drama only soars higher and the complex love story gets more and more gripping as the conflict between the characters come to the fore." Rachit Gupta of "Filmfare" gave it 4 (out of 5) stars: "At a gracious 3 hours runtime, "JTHJ" feels like an epic love story. And it is just that. "JTHJ" is the perfect adieu to a hallmark career. It is the best romantic film made in this generation." Saibal Chatterjee of "NDTV" gave it 3.5 (out of 5) stars: "Despite the lovey-dovey nothingness that drives the plot, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" has more substance than most romantic films that come out of Bollywood." Meena Iyer of "The Times of India" rated it 3.5 (out of 5) stars, saying: "Every frame is picture-perfect, the emotions are well nuanced. But there is one inherent flawthe story by Aditya Chopra is hackneyed." Subhash Jha (also from "The Times of India") said, ""Jab Tak Hai Jaan" makes you fall in love with love all over again." Anupama Chopra of the "Hindustan Times" gave the film 3 (out of 5) stars: ""Jab Tak Hai Jaan" is too tangled to transport you. But I recommend that you see it. Because only Yash Chopra could make heartache so attractive and ennobling that his characters wear it like a badge of honor." Rajeev Masand of "CNN-IBN" gave it 3 (out of 5) stars: "I'm going with three out of five for the late Yash Chopra's "Jab Tak Hai Jaan". Despite its many script problems, it's a consistently watchable film that oozes with feeling and real emotion. A fitting swan song!" "OPEN" magazine gave the film 3 (out of 5) stars, praising Yash Chopra's direction. Ajit Duara called it "a deeply-felt cinematic perspective from 80 years of living." Raja Sen of "Rediff.com" gave it 3 (out of 5) stars, saying: "As a swan-song for the master director, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" might only be a middling effort. But then, sometimes, all we need is a Khan-song." Shabana Ansari of "Daily News and Analysis" gave the film 3 (out of 5) stars: "If you must, watch "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" for Khan, who can still convey love and passion in a fleeting look or a dimpled smile; and for Yash Chopra who gave us some of the most enduring romances of all times."


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Some reviews were more polarized. Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" gave the film 2.5 (out of 5) stars, saying "watch this one for Khan, who can still do the dimpled boy wonder and the older, mature lover with a wry smile and wounded wink and sexy nudge." Sukanya Verma (also from "Rediff.com") described it as an "elegant, harmless entertainer for [the] most part", praising the visuals, acting and music. She criticised the screenplay, contending that the film could have been "snappier", and gave it 2.5 (out of 5) stars. Piyasree Dasgupta of "First Post" wrote: "You have seen everything "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" has many times before, just in other films. And probably with far better music than A. R. Rahman threw into this one."


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" received mixed reviews from critics overseas. Priya Joshi of the website "Digital Spy" gave it 3 (out of 5) stars: "The film is invested with a healthy dose of Khan, the very heart and "saans" of Yash Chopra, and the message which he lived and breathed through his films: that love is eternal." Simon Foster of Australia's "Special Broadcasting Service" also gave it 3 (out of 5) stars, calling it "a grand cinematic work boasting all the pros and cons of the genre." He observed: "Yash Chopra fans will not hear complaints that the great producer-director had become mired in a rut, or that his films are rote melodramas reliant on boisterous music (here, a typically string-heavy work from the omnipresent A. R. Rahman) and over-active camerawork. One could argue that it's their very vivid cinematic nature that makes them particularly noteworthy, even when the dialogue (at times, awful) and plotting (rarely based in logical realism) can test one's patience." Mark Olsen of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote: "The film has a freshness that would never lead one to think it was directed by an 80-year-old while at the same time it has a sureness of tone, a certainty about itself even at its most audacious, that only comes from the hand of a seasoned master... "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" serves as a fitting tribute to the career of Yash Chopra." Lisa Tsering of "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote: "Director-producer Yash Chopra's film, his final project before he died, delivers not only the romance and human touch, but also reflects a modern sensibility." Nicolas Rapold of "The New York Times" wrote, "Even though the film drags, the magic of Bollywood is that this story's muddle of twists only clarifies the urgency behind the undying desires of all concerned parties." Mazhar Farooqui of Dubai's the "Gulf News" wrote: "Despite its inherent flaws, "JTHJ" comes across as a beguiling romantic film that takes you on a roller coaster ride of high emotions set amidst picture postcard locales but more than anyone the movie belongs to Yash Chopra. In his swan song, the celebrated director once again proved why his legacy will be hard to match."


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" had 95-100% occupancy at multiplexes and single screens across India on its opening day. It earned about on its first day. "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" showed 50-percent growth and earned on its second day, netting during its first three days. The film earned over its long six-day weekend.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Earnings dropped the following Monday to , bringing the total to for its first week of release. The film continued to do well at the box office after its first week, netting in ten days. It faltered during its second week (netting only ), and crossed the mark 20 days after release. After three weeks, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" earned . The distributor share was , and "Box Office India" declared it a hit in India.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" earned US$1.3 million on its first day and $3.50 million at the end of three days in overseas markets. After the first weekend, the film earned $7.58 million in six days. "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" grossed about $11 million overseas in thirteen days before the number of screens decreased. At the end of its theatrical run, it is estimated to have earned US$12.5 million.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: At the time of release, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" set records for the highest opening-day earnings in Singapore and Pakistan by grossing $100,000. "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" became the highest-grossing Bollywood film in Bahrain and the Middle East, earning more than $4 million. It was the highest-grossing Bollywood film overseas for 2012, and the third-highest-grossing Bollywood film that year, after "Ek Tha Tiger" and "Dabangg 2".


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" received a number of nominations and awards at Bollywood award shows. The film has been praised for its direction, cinematography and chemistry between the lead actors, with Khan and Sharma receiving accolades for their performances; however, its script and the predictable plot were criticized. The film won four Filmfare Awards, five Zee Cine Awards and two Colors Screen Awards. "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" received several marketing and business awards for its overseas performance, promotions, distribution, and music. However, Kaif and Sharma were nominated for Golden Kela and Ghanta awards; some critics felt that their acting was less than stellar. Sharma and Shreya Ghoshal were the main award recipients.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Yash Raj Films launched "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" in VCD, DVD and region-free high-definition Blu-ray Disc formats on 3 January 2013. The Blu-ray Disc edition featured Dolby TrueHD 96k upsampling, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Surround 5.1 sound and two additional DVDs.


title: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

text: Four hours of extra footage were included on the discs, including the making of the film and songs, an interview with Chopra and Khan, deleted scenes, videos of Khan learning to play the guitar and ride a bicycle, and a preview from the film's premiere held in a specially constructed vintage theatre at Yash Raj Studios.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is a species of large freshwater turtle in the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia and Florida. The three species of "Chelydra" and the larger alligator snapping turtles (genus "Macrochelys") are the only extant chelydrids, a family now restricted to the Americas. The common snapping turtle, as its name implies, is the most widespread.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: The common snapping turtle is noted for its combative disposition when out of the water with its powerful beak-like jaws, and highly mobile head and neck (hence the specific epithet "serpentina", meaning "snake-like"). In water, it is likely to flee and hide underwater in sediment. The common snapping turtle has a life-history strategy characterized by high and variable mortality of embryos and hatchlings, delayed sexual maturity, extended adult longevity, and iteroparity (repeated reproductive events) with low reproductive success per reproductive event.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: Females, and presumably also males, in more northern populations mature later (at 15–20 years) and at a larger size than in more southern populations (about 12 years). Lifespan in the wild is poorly known, but long-term mark-recapture data from Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada, suggest a maximum age over 100 years.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: "C. serpentina" has a rugged, muscular build with a ridged carapace (upper shell), although ridges tend to be more pronounced in younger individuals. The carapace length in adulthood may be nearly , though is more common. "C. serpentina" usually weighs . Per one study, breeding common snapping turtles were found to average in carapace length, in plastron length and weigh about .


title: Common snapping turtle

text: Males are larger than females, with almost all weighing in excess of being male and quite old, as the species continues to grow throughout life. Any specimen above the aforementioned weights is exceptional, but the heaviest wild specimen caught reportedly weighed . Snapping turtles kept in captivity can be quite overweight due to overfeeding and have weighed as much as . In the northern part of its range, the common snapping turtle is often the heaviest native freshwater turtle.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: Common habitats are shallow ponds or streams. Some may inhabit brackish environments, such as estuaries. These sources of water tend to have an abundance of aquatic vegetation due to the shallow pools. Common snapping turtles sometimes bask—though rarely observed—by floating on the surface with only their carapaces exposed, though in the northern parts of their range, they also readily bask on fallen logs in early spring. In shallow waters, common snapping turtles may lie beneath a muddy bottom with only their heads exposed, stretching their long necks to the surface for an occasional breath. Their nostrils are positioned on the very tip of the snout, effectively functioning as snorkels.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: Snapping turtles are omnivorous. Important aquatic scavengers, they are also active hunters that use ambush tactics to prey on anything they can swallow, including many invertebrates, fish, frogs, reptiles (including snakes and smaller turtles), unwary birds, and small mammals. In some areas adult snapping turtles can occasionally be incidentally detrimental to breeding waterfowl, but their effect on such prey as ducklings and goslings is frequently exaggerated. As omnivorous scavengers though, they will also feed on carrion and a surprisingly large amount of aquatic vegetation.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: Common snapping turtles have few predators when older, but eggs are subject to predation by crows, American mink, skunks, foxes, and raccoons. As hatchlings and juveniles, most of the same predators will attack them as well as herons (mostly great blue herons), bitterns, hawks, owls, fishers, American bullfrogs, large fish, and snakes. There are records during winter in Canada of hibernating adult common snapping turtles being ambushed and preyed on by northern river otters. Other natural predators which have reportedly preyed on adults include coyotes, American black bears, American alligators and their larger cousins, alligator snapping turtles. Large, old male snapping turtles have very few natural threats due to their formidable size and defenses, and tend to have a very low annual mortality rate.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: These turtles travel extensively over land to reach new habitats or to lay eggs. Pollution, habitat destruction, food scarcity, overcrowding, and other factors drive snappers to move; it is quite common to find them traveling far from the nearest water source. Experimental data supports the idea that snapping turtles can sense the Earth's magnetic field, which could also be used for such movements (together with a variety of other possible orientation cues).


title: Common snapping turtle

text: This species mates from April through November, with their peak laying season in June and July. The female can hold sperm for several seasons, using it as necessary. Females travel over land to find sandy soil in which to lay their eggs, often some distance from the water. After digging a hole, the female typically deposits 25 to 80 eggs each year, guiding them into the nest with her hind feet and covering them with sand for incubation and protection.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: Incubation time is temperature-dependent, ranging from 9 to 18 weeks. One study on the incubation period of the common snapping turtle incubated the eggs at two temperatures: 20 °C (68 °F) and 30 °C (86 °F). The research found that the incubation period at the higher temperature was significantly shorter at approximately 63 days, while at the lower temperature the time was approximately 140 days. In cooler climates, hatchlings overwinter in the nest. The common snapping turtle is remarkably cold-tolerant; radiotelemetry studies have shown some individuals do not hibernate, but remain active under the ice during the winter.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: Common snapping turtle hatchlings have recently been found to make sounds before nest exit onto the surface, a phenomenon also known from species in the South American genus "Podocnemis" and the Ouachita map turtle. These sounds are mostly "clicking" noises, but other sounds, including those that sound somewhat like a “creak” or rubbing a finger along a fine-toothed comb, are also sometimes produced.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: In the northern part of their range snapping turtles do not breathe for more than six months because ice covers their hibernating site. These turtles can get oxygen by pushing their head out of the mud and allowing gas exchange to take place through the membranes of their mouth and throat. This is known as extrapulmonary respiration.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: If they cannot get enough oxygen through this method they start to utilize anaerobic pathways, burning sugars and fats without the use of oxygen. The metabolic by-products from this process are acidic and create very undesirable side effects by spring, which are known as oxygen debt. Although designated as "least concern" on the IUCN redlist, the species has been designated in the Canadian part of its range as "Special Concern" due to its life history being sensitive to disruption by anthropogenic activity.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: Currently, no subspecies of the common snapping turtle are recognized. The former Florida subspecies "osceola" is currently considered a synonym of "serpentina", while the other former subspecies "Chelydra rossignonii" and "Chelydra acutirostris" are both recognized as full species.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: In their environment, they are at the top of the food chain, causing them to feel less fear or aggression in some cases. When they encounter a species unfamiliar to them such as humans, in rare instances, they will become curious and survey the situation and even more rarely may bump their nose on a leg of the person standing in the water. Although snapping turtles have fierce dispositions, when they are encountered in the water or a swimmer approaches, they will slip quietly away from any disturbance or may seek shelter under mud or grass nearby.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: The common snapping turtle is a traditional ingredient in turtle soup; consumption in large quantities, however, can become a health concern due to potential concentration of toxic environmental pollutants in the turtle's flesh.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: The common snapping turtle is not an ideal pet. Its neck is very flexible, and a wild turtle can bite its handler even if picked up by the sides of its shell. The claws are as sharp as those of bears and cannot be trimmed as can dog claws. The turtle uses its paws like a bear for hunting and slicing food, while biting it. Despite this, a snapping turtle cannot use its claws for either attacking (its legs have no speed or strength in "swiping" motions) or eating (no opposable thumbs), but only as aids for digging and gripping. Veterinary care is best left to a reptile specialist. A wild common snapping turtle will make a hissing sound when it is threatened or encountered, but they prefer not to provoke confrontations.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: It is a common misconception that common snapping turtles may be safely picked up by the tail with no harm to the animal; in fact, this has a high chance of injuring the turtle, especially the tail itself and the vertebral column. Lifting the turtle with the hands is difficult and dangerous. Snappers can stretch their necks back across their own carapace and to their hind feet on either side to bite. When they feel stressed, they release a musky odor from behind their legs.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: It may be tempting to rescue a snapping turtle found on a road by getting it to bite a stick and then dragging it out of immediate danger. This action can, however, severely scrape the legs and underside of the turtle and lead to deadly infections in the wounds. The safest way to pick up a common snapping turtle is by grasping the carapace behind the back legs, being careful to not grasp the tail. There is a large gap behind the back legs that allows for easy grasping of the carapace and keeps hands safe from both the beak and claws of the turtle. It can also be picked up with a shovel, from the back, making sure the shovel is square across the bottom of the shell. The easiest way, though, is with a blanket or tarp, picking up the corners with the turtle in the middle.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: The common snapping turtle was the central feature of a famous American political cartoon. Published in 1808 in protest at the Jeffersonian Embargo Act of 1807, the cartoon depicted a snapping turtle, jaws locked fiercely to an American trader who was attempting to carry a barrel of goods onto a British ship. The trader was seen whimsically uttering the words "Oh! this cursed Ograbme" ("embargo" spelled backwards, and also "O, grab me" as the turtle is doing). This piece is widely considered a pioneering work within the genre of the modern political cartoon.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: In 2006, the common snapping turtle was declared the state reptile of New York by vote of the New York Legislature after being chosen by the state's public elementary school children.


title: Common snapping turtle

text: While it is widely rumored that common snapping turtles can bite off human fingers or toes, and their powerful jaws are more than capable of doing so, no proven cases have ever been presented for this species, as they use their overall size and strength to deter would-be predators. Common snapping turtles are "quite docile" animals underwater that prefer to avoid confrontations rather than provoke them.