A group of fed-up Canadians has filed a $9.8 million class action lawsuit against a mob of anti-vaccine truckers who have packed downtown Ottawa for a week, blasting the ear-piercing air horns of their vehicles day and night.The rogue drivers’ “Freedom Convoy” began as a protest against the requirement that all truckers crossing the border to or from the United States must be vaccinated against COVID-19, although demands have since expanded.The use of air horns — for up to 16 hours in a 24-hour period — is a “key tactic” of the protest, and one intended to cause “psychological distress” and “discomfort,” according to the complaint filed Friday with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.For the 6,000 residents in the Centretown neighborhood of Ottawa in the immediate vicinity of the protest, “the non-stop blaring horns have caused unbearable torment in the sanctity of their own homes,” the complaint states.The filing notes that the horns on semi-trucks emit noise as loud as 150 decibels and are not meant to be used for longer than a few seconds because the sound levels can permanently damage the human ear. The sound level downtown now exceeds limits established by Canada’s Federal Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, the complaint states.“This is a siege. It is something that is different in our democracy than I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Peter Sloly, chief of the Ottawa Police, said Saturday. Ottawa has considered asking for federal help as similar actions spread to Toronto, Winnipeg, Quebec City and other provincial capitals.A court hearing on Saturday seeking an injunction to stop the protest was adjourned until Monday. The Canadian Trucking Alliance, the main advocacy organization for the nation’s truckers, and the Ontario Trucking Association have disavowed the protest, the Ottawa Citizen reported. The Trucking Alliance said the vast majority of its members are fully vaccinated and are continuing to work.GoFundMe on Friday shut down an online fundraising campaign and blocked money raised for the protest because of “unlawful” activities, it said in a statement.“We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity,” the statement added. Money raised will be refunded or redirected to charities.We want to thank @gofundme for listening to our concerns as a City and a police service. The decision to withhold funding for these unlawful demonstrations is an important step and we call on all crowdfunding sites to follow.— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 5, 2022
Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Friday said the action had ceased being a protest, and had become an “occupation” — and “unacceptable.”But leaders of the action have vowed that the trucks won’t leave until mask and vaccine mandates instituted for public health safety are eliminated.Residents where the protesters are encamped complain of harassment and even assaults. Traffic is paralyzed, stores have closed, and residents are hiding out in their homes.We are closing early tonight (Friday) at 6:30pm and staying closed over the weekend until Wednesday Feb 9th🤞. One of our staff was physically assaulted on their way to work today, blocked on the sidewalk by two men and shoved to the ground for wearing a mask.— Moo Shu Ice Cream (@MooShuIceCream) February 4, 2022
Based on the accounts we’ve heard from our neighbours, this behaviour is not an isolated incident. It’s taken the day for us to let it sink how not OK we are. Please pardon the last minute change, and we’re sorry if you braved a trek to support us to find us unexpectedly closed.— Moo Shu Ice Cream (@MooShuIceCream) February 4, 2022
Police have responded to over 400 calls for service related to the demonstrations since they began.In total, over 50 criminal offences are being investigated—11 of those were hate crimes which resulted in charges against four people. #ottawa #ottnews— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 5, 2022
Received so many messages since last night from many vulnerable people impacted by truck horns and exhaust. People with autism are extremely affected by loud and unpredictable noises and it’s traumatic. Hope to bring relief soon. https://t.co/Ozdjfpz5Go— Paul Champ (@PaulChampLaw) February 5, 2022