'Freedom Convoy' Organizer Says Canada Is Seeing 'A Lot Of Similarities' With Civil War
Organizers have a protest planned on Canada Day.
Key organizers linked to the "Freedom Movement" met with MPs on Wednesday, and one said the situation in Canada has "a lot of similarities" with civil war.
On June 22, the " Freedom Movement" organizers met at a location near Parliament Hill to seek support from MPs in "repairing Canada." The meeting was part of a three-day conference, which falls ahead of a protest and dance party planned for Canada Day.
"James has been to a civil war," said Veterans for Freedom organizer Tom Marazzo. "I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen here but there’s a lot of similarities. You know, pre-civil wars around the globe—if you look at your history—we don’t want that here. We’re going down a very dark path in this country, and we need help, and we need you guys.”
According to Canada Marches, the meeting was organized with Canadian MPs who agreed to meet with the Canada Marches team. Canada Marches is a group, spearheaded by former Canadian Armed Forces member James Topp, which initially opposed COVID-19 health regulations. Veterans for Freedom is a group that says it aims to "engage in lawful civic action on the ground, and sustain the effort until the fundamental rights of Canadians have been restored," according to the group's website.
“We’re not political—we’re not politicians," Marazzo said. "We don’t understand the world you guys operate in—we really don’t, but we need you guys to come to our side.”
Topp, who says he was let go from the Canadian Armed Forced and the RCMP as a civilian for his stance on COVID-19 regulations, embarked on a 4,000-kilometre walk from Vancouver to Ottawa in protest. Topp says the meeting, which comes five months after the initial Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa, is about "dissatisfaction with the federal government."
Topp took a break from his march, which had reached Deep River, Ontario by June 21, to visit Ottawa for the meeting with MPs.
MP voices support for 'Freedom Movement' organizers
During the meeting, a Saskatchewan MP voiced his support of the Canada Marches and Veterans for Freedom.
"The reality is that there is one political party that has been represented around this table here today," said Jeremy Patzer, MP for Cypress Hill Grasslands, Saskatchewan. "You have support —you’ve had support all along. It takes a lot of work and effort to get that message out, because it's a message, that in this Ottawa bubble, is not a popular one."
Patzer went on to say that he presented a petition, with over 17,000 signatures, that was seeking to reinstate federal leaders who were laid off or removed as a result of COVID-19 vaccination policies. Several other MPs were in attendance during the June 22 meeting.
By Thursday morning, James Topp returned to his march to Ottawa and was walking into Laurentian Hills in the Ottawa Valley.
"Freedom Movement" organizers will meet to discuss health at the Centurion Conference & Event Center. According to the Canada Marches Eventbrite page, the event will host guests Dr. Paul Alexander, Dr. Jessica Rose, Dr. Pierre Kory, and Citizens For Truth's Ken Drysdale. And on June 24, Freedom Movement supporters have an event planned to further discuss COVID-19 health regulations and what they call "government overreach."