Stop 8: Freedom Convoy

In late January 2022, a series of truck convoys organized by right-wing activists converged on Parliament Hill, demanding that the federal government end all vaccine mandates and public health protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The self-proclaimed “Freedom Convoy” occupied ten square blocks in downtown Ottawa for nearly four weeks. The occupation severely disrupted daily activities and access to essential services for residents, business owners and vital support agencies. The City of Ottawa did not issue any permits for the Freedom Convoy, nor did Convoy organizers consult with Algonquin peoples or engage in respectful visiting protocols, a standard requirement for large or sustained gatherings on Algonquin territory.

Music and sound were key characteristics of the occupation, and sonic violence was used to control the space. The sound of trucks honking, engines revving, air horns, train horns, and amplified music routinely exceeded 100 db for prolonged periods. The incessant noise from blaring horns and amplified music imposed a sonic environment that put many Ottawa residents under extreme duress. Large sound systems and stages were set up in major intersections near Parliament Hill where DJs played mainstream popular and electronic dance music day and night to crowds of varying numbers, creating a party atmosphere that included hot tubs, barbeques, and inflatable “bouncy castles.” While the sonic environment impacted many residents, it also drew people to the area, some of whom supported the Convoy, others who were ambivalent, and many who were eager to socialize after months of lockdowns and social distancing.

However, the soundscape became a site of violence, contestation, and exclusion. It displaced many racialized, disabled, elderly, 2SLGBTQIA+, and low-income residents, many of whom reported feeling unsafe on the streets and trapped in their homes.That the Convoy was allowed to set up large sound systems, stages, and host late-night outdoor dance parties in an urban center for three weeks depended on the virtual suspension of law enforcement onsite. The subsequent public inquiry into the occupation revealed that neither the municipal government nor its police force had prepared for the possibility that the truckers might refuse to leave. This allowed the Convoy to produce a spectacularly loud festival-like atmosphere that drew people to the area and invited media attention, especially on the weekends. Anglo-American pop music was a way of suggesting that Convoy demonstrators were so-called typical Canadians merely enjoying everyday social activities and familiar music that the government had unlawfully denied them throughout the pandemic.

The Convoy revealed the stark contrast in police action against progressive movements—often led by members of Indigenous, racialized, queer, and other marginalized communities—and right-wing populists. The prospect of a white middle-class protest was largely dismissed by police as non-threatening, despite ample evidence to the contrary. Supporters of the Freedom Convoy have become a fixture on Parliament Hill. Even in small numbers, they are a reminder of how the national soundscape was occupied for three weeks with hateful rhetoric and disinformation.