Doug Ford Has A Message For Protesters In Ottawa & Says There Are 3 Things He Can't Tolerate

Premier Doug Ford says there are a few things that he absolutely can't tolerate when it comes to the "Freedom Convoy" protest in Ottawa.

In a press conference on February 1, Ford was asked to comment on the convoy of Canadian truckers protesting vaccine mandates in the nation's capital.

"My message right from the beginning of this pandemic when it came to the truckers, I appreciate everything they've done. I appreciate them bringing health supplies to hospitals, putting food on the grocery shelves, but there's three things I can't tolerate," Ford said.

The first of which concerns the reported desecration of some of Canada's most revered historical monuments, like the Terry Fox statue.

"[The] desecration of any war memorials or any memorials, zero tolerance for that," Ford said.

The premier also denounced some of the flags displayed during the protest.

"The flags they're waving around is disgusting in my opinion," he added.

In a statement to Narcity earlier this week, Ford said he was deeply troubled by the symbols of hate seen on display during the protest — which included the Confederate and Nazi flags.

"I was extremely disturbed [...] to see some individuals desecrate our most sacred monuments and wave swastikas and other symbols of hate and intolerance this weekend," he said.

The last thing Ford mentioned was how long the protest has been carrying on in the streets.

"I hear you, I hear the protesters, the province hears the protesters, the country hears the protesters, now it's time to let the people in Ottawa get back to their lives," Ford said.

"These businesses that have been closed for a while now, the restaurants want to reopen. I get it, I hear you, but we have to let the people of Ottawa live their lives."

The Freedom Convoy arrived in Ottawa on Saturday to protest the mandatory vaccine requirements and other COVID-19 lockdown measures in the country.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance issued a statement on January 22 saying that the "vast majority" of the industry is vaccinated against COVID-19.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.