Canada protests sound common refrain: ‘We stand for freedom’

By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, TED SHAFFREY and KATHLEEN FOODY
The Associated Press

WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) — Canadians who have occupied downtown Ottawa, disrupted travel and trade with the U.S. and inspired copycat protests from New Zealand to the Netherlands sound a common note when asked about their motivation: Decisions about their health shouldn’t be made by the government. The refrain isn’t new to a pandemic-weary world, two years after the COVID-19 virus prompted curfews and closures, face-mask mandates and debates over vaccine requirements. Though it comes just as many of the toughest pandemic-era restrictions are being lifted across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Some experts say that protesters motivated by their opposition to pandemic restrictions are being manipulated by groups whose real aim is to overthrow the government.