It was a busy Saturday afternoon in O-Town. On August 29, hundreds of protesters gathered downtown to speak out against enforced COVID-19 measures. The Ottawa activists denounced mandatory mask wearing, enforced lockdown and compulsory vaccinations. Joining similar rallies across the globe, hundreds of Canadians gathered on Parliament Hill to protest government-enforced COVID-19 safety measures. Editor's Choice: A Statue Of John A. Macdonald Was Toppled Following A Protest In Montreal (VIDEO) The march was organized by The Line Canada, a “leaderless” group that has no political ties but rejects being forced to comply with COVID-19 rules and recommendations. This includes mandatory mask wearing, enforced social distancing and public lockdown restrictions. Those involved called for the end to such precautions, arguing that these measures are an infringement of their personal rights. According to CBC News, hundreds of activists were present during the march, most of whom were not wearing masks and did not practice safe social distancing. Those marching in Ottawa joined similar protests across the globe. Events were also held in Paris, London and Berlin, where 38,000 people gathered to reject COVID-19 restrictions. Signs at Ottawa Protest today pic.twitter.com/I3n5k7KW0U— Vlad Tepesblog (@Vladtepesblog) August 30, 2020 Photos of the Ottawa-based event show demonstrators carrying banners and signs, reading messages such as “The media are a disgrace” and “Lockdown damage will be worse than the virus.” Another image from the protest appears to show a Trump banner, as well as a U.S.A. flag, and a "Make America Great Again" flag. Trump flags were flying in Ottawa's protest today!! pic.twitter.com/RhArJDoXNb— Genevieve Avril Parent (@AvrilParent) August 29, 2020 Smh who tf brought a MAGA and USA flag to the anti mask protest in Ottawa?? I really hope they know they're in Canada :/ pic.twitter.com/B4KXkGOz6k— Yanni (@jantheman1712) August 30, 2020 Similar protests have been held in Ottawa, and across wider Canada, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been multiple anti-lockdown marches, with activists in Toronto going as far as offering "free hugs" during the height of the pandemic, and flying the Canadian flag upside down. .@CTVNews, please explain why today's BLM marches are featured but Ottawa Freedom Protest with 3000-5000 attendees (my estimate, some say more) was not. It's not journalists' job to decide which protests they like, it's their job to report what happened today in our country! https://t.co/M8ycPnGcVH pic.twitter.com/L4Xv9nyMgD— Julius Ruechel (@JuliusRuechel) August 30, 2020 The Ottawa march wasn’t the only protest happening in Canada this weekend. Across multiple major cities, thousands of people marched in support of defunding the police. While these demonstrations were peaceful, a statue of John A. Macdonald ended up getting toppled in Montreal. *This article's cover image is for illustrative purposes only.
