Group rallies in Simcoe County as 'Freedom Convoy' rolls down Highway 400
Hundreds of people gathered at the Innisfil Beach Road ONroute Thursday morning in solidarity with the so-called 'Freedom Convoy.'
The group plans on travelling southbound along Highway 400 to meet up with another gathering in Vaughan.
The truckers began a cross-country trip from British Columbia to Ottawa over the weekend, protesting the mandate requiring truckers travelling across the Canada- U.S. border to be vaccinated.
Several participants in the demonstration say it's also about various other policies that they feel infringe on their freedoms.
They warn that the vaccine mandate for truckers would leave store shelves bare.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the protest included a "small fringe minority of people" who "are holding unacceptable views" that "do not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other."
Many who took part in the protest Thursday said they were vaccinated, including Carla Seaward who lost her husband to COVID-19.
"We stayed away from everybody. We did our thing, and I still lost him at 49-years-old, so you know what, the entire country is suffering, and it's time for us to come together because enough is enough."
Nearly every overpass along the highway was crowded with supporters waving Canadian flags.
"I feel it's right that we come and do our due diligence to support what we feel and what we want," said Jamie Robinson.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance has said it is not involved with the protest, noting roughly 15 per cent of truckers are not fully vaccinated.
As the protest moves through the region, the OPP cautions motorists travelling along Highway 400, Highway 11 and Highway 401 Thursday through Saturday to prepare for slowdowns.
"The OPP encourages everyone on the roads to be patient and respectful of each other despite potential inconvenience related to the protest convoy," OPP tweeted Thursday morning.
GO Transit also warns of possible delays due to congested traffic along major routes.
For those who can't attend the protests at the nation's capital, another slow-moving convoy is scheduled to take place in Barrie on Saturday.
With files from CP24's Chris Fox
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