'What the hell is going on?': Convoyers returning to Kamloops, Okanagan
Another Freedom Convoy is expected in Kamloops and Okanagan cities this weekend, with a stop planned at Kelowna's Stuart Park.
Roughly a year after last year's convoy that occupied Ottawa's downtown, another is rolling through the B.C. Interior.
According to online posters, it's at least partially being organized by an organization the City of Kelowna is taking to B.C. Supreme Court.
Common Law Education and Rights, a freemen-on-the-land or "sovereign citizen" group, is named on the poster.
The protesters are expected to be at Stuart Park on Saturday, Feb. 4, as they have done repeatedly since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: City of Kelowna seeks injunction against anti-vax protesters
The convoyers will pass through Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton and other South Okanagan communities on Feb. 4 and 5, according to the convoy website.
During the Stuart Park rally, it will feature two speakers, one of whom recently published a book called "What the Hell is Going On?"
Author Donald Lee asks "what the hell is going on?" and "why does nothing make sense?" in the book.
His website claims he "connects the dots on a web of fraud that is leading inexorably to a one-world totalitarian tyranny."
How much of the convoy relates to the pandemic, rather than a loosely connected web of conspiracy theories, is unclear.
The "Canadian Association for Free Expression" website mentions the City of Kelowna's injunction application and assures readers they "cannot be charged" for joining at Stuart Park, "nor will any legal action be taken."
The City has, however, levied about 200 fines against protesters since September 2021. The protesters have never applied for a permit, despite continued use of the park, often setting up loudspeakers and tents to sell merchandise.
READ MORE: Kelowna ‘freedom rally’ racked up 200 unpaid tickets before being taken to court
“Our job here is all about ensuring the fair and equitable use of public space for the general public,” Kevin Mead, Kelowna’s bylaw services manager, told iNFOnews.ca. “There is a process by which you can apply for a permit for an event, which provides you with unfettered access to public space, this one being Stuart Park.”
None of those fines have been paid.
The City launched an injunction against Stuart Park protest organizers last month, mostly targeting the Common Law Education and Rights group and its organizer, David Lindsay.
If granted by a judge, it would allow police to evict protesters from Stuart Park if they don't have prior approval to use the public space.
It hasn't been heard in court yet and none of the defendants have responded. The City applied to the court on Jan. 16 and defendants have 21 days to respond after being given notice.
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