Is it what, Wednesday already, Possums? We’ve lost track, having been somewhat preoccupied ’round these parts (of Ottawa) lately, not to mention having published roughly 10,000 words over the past two weeks. Not even counting Twitter (gotta be another 10k at least). While the initial Ottawa Occupation may indeed be over, there are two truck rodeos not far out of town waiting for the signal to launch #OO2.0. Meanwhile World War Three looms. It’s Rather A Lot, Possums. We are all preoccupied these days, between worry and working.
AND!
A BRAND NEW BINGO CARD!
Yes, it’s really happening!
Yes, Possums, after what? A six month hiatus during which we each day hoped (and that, fervently, Possums, positively fervently) that we’d never need another card because the pandemic was surely over (the end of the pandemic being, apparently, around exactly the same corner as prosperity) after six months, we’re back with a new Bingo card!
But it’s not (Pandemic: over. Prosperity: just around the corner). We’re headed towards WW III, and here we are. We’re in this together.
Strap in and hold on, we’re coming in hot.
And we’re not even talking about our featured image! #BringBackTheBeard
Justin Trudeau looking preoccupied. And bearded
Our CPAC video is here, with just 380 watching which is what you get for announcing a 4pm press conference at what? 2pm? (Update: 12,000 a respectable number, a couple of hours later:
At a news conference on Parliament Hill, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to provide an update on measures implemented under the federal government’s declaration of a public-order emergency. He is joined by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as well as ministers David Lametti (justice), Marco Mendicino (public safety) and Bill Blair (emergency preparedness). The government invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14, 2022, as part of an effort to resolve ongoing blockades and protests in several parts of the country. A motion to confirm the declaration of an emergency was adopted by the House of Commons on February 21. Debate on a similar motion is still underway in the Senate.
And here are our bingo cards, including the new, less-pandemic-y, more-Ukrainian Eleventh Generation bingo card! Are you excited, Possums? I know you are.
A grand total of 42 trucks on Wellington Street. There were only 42 trucks on Wellington Street. I counted, but you can’t hear me over the sound of the trucks.
Fascists don’t care what happens to their footsoldiers. They know there’s another born every minute. When their troops fall, they just leave them there.
Here we go y’all.
Invoking the Emergencies Act has been necessary. It has helped us to take action against illegal blockades – and to stand up for public safety and the freedom of Canadians. For more on that, tune in to my update now: https://t.co/aBqoXAmwaR
In re-reading Tommy Douglas’s speech on invoking the War Measures Act his greatest concern was that the Act suspended the Bill of Rights and the constitution of the country. The Emergencies Act does not. It is subject to the Charter & Bill of Rights. Situation entirely different
Our video, from CPAC, with over four thousand watching live, surely a record:
On Parliament Hill, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a news conference. He is joined by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as well as ministers David Lametti (justice), Marco Mendicino (public safety) and Bill Blair (emergency preparedness). The House of Commons continues to debate a motion to confirm the government’s declaration of a public-order emergency under the Emergencies Act and is scheduled to vote on the motion later in the evening. The government invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14 as part of an effort to resolve ongoing blockades and protests in several parts of the country.
Fascists don’t arrest fascists. Professional courtesy.
You goddam bet your sweet bippy we are. Riverside is ready to rumble. Byward Market is boiling. Kanata is cantankerous. Greely is grumbling. Sandy Hill is sulking. Tunney’s Pasture is anything but pastoral. Centretown has shifted to Radical Leftsville. Hintonburg, well, it’s done with hinting and has gone to flat-out ultimatums. The Glebe is…considering a strongly-worded letter to the editor. THAT is how bad things have gotten in Ottawa.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
After three solid weeks of inaction, cajoling (hey, they’ve Got Your Backs, doncha know), capitulation, and even collaboration, the various levels of government responsible for Ottawa have decided that perhaps, just perhaps, it might be time to do something.
And that thing? is not to collaborate with the insurrectionists’ demand that the Governor General dissolve Parliament and form a new government with them.
Much to their surprise.
No indeedy. And it wasn’t a sudden influx of troops that’s given the government all these stainless steel clackers in the legpit region, either.
It was us.
It was, to be more specific, the people of the counter-protest at the traffic bottleneck known as Billings Bridge, which is an actual physical bridge as well as a strangely depressing shopping mall. I think it’s the food court. But anyway.
Here’s where it got its start, as a Clash with the Fash that will ring throughout history.
Dearest Mother,
We have established a foothold against the occupying force and stand firm together in the shadow of Billings Bridge. The cold is bone chilling and the diesel fumes overpowering but we remain committed to restore peace in Bytown.
Several of the convoyageurs have been wont to go out on a daily scenic drive of the neighborhoods around their encampment downtown, honking and begging for attention. They used to come by my place at 2 every day tooting their little horns (it was generally one or two actual trucks and a buncha pickups and minivans) until it finally dawned on them that nobody ever honked back. The saddest little parade it was. I was gonna put up a sign that said “Honk if you love Trudeau” but they never came back.
How extremely out of touch do you have to be to see mass grassroots mobilization against the far-right and CONDEMN it.
Residents have been forced to stand up for themselves because of your lack of leadership @JimWatsonOttawa.
Anyhoodle, the people of Billings Bridge and environs weren’t about to put up with that, so emboldened by the unified action of the dog walkers (oh, those troublemakers! radical lefties of the personal-services industry if ever there were such) the people of Billings Bridge (and environs, don’t forget the environs, we don’t want them to feel marginalized) rose up as one, or rather as several hundred, and blockaded the convoy.
We go to our reporter on the ground. Well, we hope our reporter didn’t hit the ground. We hope they typed this from an ergonomic chair in a cozy home office.
citizen/counter protesters turned the tables on the occupiers and pinned a long line of them on riverside drive. cops attempted to get (us) to let them through on the promise that they wouldn’t allow them to go downtown. But trust in the local police is shredded and no one budged.
morning turned to afternoon on this frigid sunday as the crowd swelled. pizzas and a sound system were brought in and i as well as most of us around the city i’m sure experienced something that felt like catharsis – a small victory.
eventually after some negotiating, citizens were allowing one truck at a time to pass through (on the outskirts) provided they removed their flags from their truck first lol. you love to see it.
across the city pockets of citizens, fed up with the non -response from the cops and political leaders, took to key intersections and turned away the occupiers in numbers. my retweeting thumb is practically sore from signal boosting.
what fucking choice do we have here – they’re forcing the closure of grocery stores in the core, people can’t get food, they’ve attempted to burn down a building, some are losing count of the amount of times they’ve been harassed. we’re heading into the third week and the people of this town have had enough, many are sleep deprived. AHK.
don’t know that I’ve ever been prouder to be an ottawan.
if it warms closer to zero this week, you bet your ass I’ll be making my way to any nearby intersection that needs bodies to block out the fash.
The other condition convoy drivers had to comply with before they were allowed to leave the blockade was to discard their jerry cans of fuel. The people have done far more to cut the fuel supply of the occupation than the police or any level of gov. #BattleOfBillingsBridge
Awww, Karen’s freedumbs have been interfered with. No more Confederate flags! No more Nazi symbols. Just allow me to note that both the Confederates and the Nazis lost. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Here’s the blow-by-blow from the eminently follow-worthy @CanadianOsprey:
Ottawa saying ENOUGH and taking action because we know that we can't trust Ottawa Police to protect us. 2/ pic.twitter.com/k1cZSlKXEa
@OttawaPolice got message loud and clear that residents / tax-payers are fed up with their inactions. Most senior members I saw were a couple Sergeants don't know if more senior were spotted by others. 4/ pic.twitter.com/ckMwslGbAP
Been reviewing my pics of “Battle of Billings Bridge” today. Struck by images of entitled insurrectionist couples in Lincoln’s, SUVs and pickups who just had most shocking & humiliating day of their lives. 1/ They started day with their freedumb, racist and anti-democratic symbols and play-acting camo thinking that they’d invade DT Ottawa once again for the 🎊 Sunday Party 🎉 on Wellington. 2/ When they were first delayed by #HerosofRiverside they naturally assumed that @OttawaPolice would once again facilitate their journey. 3/ Citizens of Ottawa were having none of it; refused to back down; rolled their eyes when police said “you need to trust us … we’re trying to protect you”. 4/ Result was those entitled asshats spent a very long day being educated on democracy, community, science, public health, anti-social behaviour and importance of protecting the most vulnerable all while sitting stone-faced in their cabs under a beautiful blue winter sky. 5/ In midst of a basic civics lesson which should never have to be given to adults they were also subjected to endless shaming, vilification, mockery and taunting. 6/ Eventually after they’d taken down all their offensive gear (incl Maple Leaf flags which these terrorists have appropriated) and given up their gas cans they were allowed to slowly retreat. A few were left with mementoes. 7/ Image All plates and occupants were captured on pictures and videos including those who tried for a while to hide behind their hands or shawls. 8/ I’ve decided not to post photos of these pathetic souls hoping that a few of them will have been so shaken by today’s events that they’ll go home to question the many wrong decisions that led them to Billings Bridge. 9/ I am however under zero illusions. Today was an exhilarating event that reinvigorated this Centretowner. But it was a minor skirmish in what will end up being a long battle for future of a democratic nation based on an imperfect constitution and rule of law.
Now that we know what went down yesterday among The Actual People, we can mention that their Public Servants met and that’s resulted in today’s result, whatever that will be.
Although it will be the Emergency Measures Act.
Anyhoodle, here’s our video from CPAC, with 1484 watching, about ten times as many as usually tune in right on time (since he’s ALWAYS late) although after it finished fewer than 6,000 people had seen it, much lower than I expected:
At a news conference on Parliament Hill, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers remarks and responds to questions from reporters. The federal government is invoking the federal Emergencies Act in an effort to address ongoing convoy protests that have affected border crossings and cities across the country. The prime minister is joined by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as well as ministers David Lametti (justice) Marco Mendicino (public safety) and Bill Blair (emergency preparedness).
Here we are, two days after the actual briefing, at last running it through that most important of all cultural lenses: that of fandom and trivia! Yes, we’re here in 2022, on the cutting edge of the Zeitgeist, where complex, critical issues can only be understood in terms of principles of worship and faith that we learned in Sunday School, and God help you if you’re not a Christian. Erin O’Toole won’t. Can’t. Whatever.
Here’s our video, which CPAC initially screwed up so it had one literal hour of dead airtime before the actual speech began, but they’ve now fixed it. Congratulations to the over 140,000 people who persevered and watched it anyway. 633 Likes, zero Dislikes for the record. It was indeed a good one. Especially for a guy who just tested positive for Covid-19.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau comments as a protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates continues in Ottawa. The downtown area in the nation’s capital has been gridlocked since the protest began January 28 on Parliament Hill. The prime minister is speaking from self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19. Two of his children have also tested positive.
Fuzzy is not another dwarf. It’s just how I feel today, since I got up before 10am for once in my life. Let’s get right into it. God knows, my skating trip is off for today and there’s fuckall else to do.
Coldest Ice Pellets in over 20 years. Today at 11AM the airport reported "Ice Pellets" and a temperature of -14°C. The last time we had ice pellets this cold was January 3rd, 1999.
The all time coldest was -19.1°C on Jan 27, 1994.#OttWeather
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, particularly if they’re running a fever and can operate as hot water bottles!
TORONTO (The Borowitz Report)—Canada, already bracing for the possible inflow of millions of American refugees in November, might have made matters worse by releasing an unacceptably adorable photo of its Prime Minister hugging two baby pandas, Canadians fear.
Our video is here, with only 312 people watching:
On Parliament Hill, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discusses the federal government’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of the Omicron variant. He is joined by Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister of health.
raincoaster 