Anti-lockdown ‘True North Freedom Assembly’ held in Uptown Waterloo

Marking eight straight weeks of demonstrations in Uptown Waterloo, Sunday saw the public square host to the “True North Freedom Assembly” – accompanied by several guest speakers including People’s Party of Canada’s leader, Maxime Bernier. With hundreds of individuals in attendance, signs could be seen issuing a wide range of grievances – from disdain towards our provincial shut down and the closure of schools, businesses and churches to anti-vaccine sentiment. Organizers from Canada Rising Up, a group dedicated to “peaceful non-compliance” could also be seen selling t-shirts with anti-lockdown slogans, taking a short time prior to Maxime Bernier’s comments to share their anti-lockdown hip-hop music.

Dave Jaworsky is the Mayor of the City of Waterloo and called Sunday’s demonstration a “slap in the face” to the nurses, doctors and volunteers working to assist COVID-19 patients and to stop the spread of the virus. With People’s Party of Canada candidates for Kitchener-Conestoga, Waterloo, St. Catharines and Niagara all in attendance at the event, Jaworsky said it was “beyond shocking” that anyone would consider now a “good time” to be hosting a “political campaign rally” – either here in Waterloo Region or in Southern Ontario.

“These events are simply nonsense at this point in time,” said Jaworsky. “Organizers have always been held accountable under the law, and through investigation, I think they can expect more charges to be laid as has been done for other illegal gatherings.”

Speaking to 570 NEWS ahead of the event, Bernier said he was in attendance as ending “draconian lockdowns” has been a policy position of the People’s Party of Canada for some time. Expressing his own issues with the public health measures, Bernier called the continued shutdown a “failed experiment”, equating the drop in COVID-19 cases seen in the province to “herd immunity”.

“We are at this point right now that we have herd immunity by people that decided to have the vaccine, and by people who decided not to have the vaccine but they had COVID. That’s why it’s time, more than ever, to stop these draconian lockdowns,” said Bernier. “We are the only political party at the federal level that’s fighting for freedoms and fighting these lockdowns…”

“People must know, if they want to get rid of that at the federal level, we are the only party.”

With June 6 marking the anniversary of the D-Day landings in World War II, several guest speakers evoked imagery of the invasion of Normandy and the fight of the Allied forces to the ongoing “battle against tyranny” being fought by anti-lockdown protestors. Bernier shared a post on his own Facebook page of soldiers in a landing craft, as he asked whether those who died in 1944 did so only to “postpone the triumph of tyranny”, warning that “authoritarian ideologies” are on the rise.

“It’s sad that we have to do that fight right now – this year in 2021 to keep our freedoms,” said Bernier. “We must remember our history but also, we’re fighting to keep our values alive, our freedom alive. We don’t have that right now, and so that’s a big link between these two events.”

Offering his perspective to those comments, Jaworsky said those times were a period of “all hands-on deck”, working with and following the rules of government in order to ensure a “fair and open democratic society.”

“Really, we’re at war with the COVID virus right now – and through that, we need to rally behind the federal government and the provincial government and do the right thing,” said Jaworsky. “Although people were certainly giving their lives during World War II, now what we’re really asking is for people to stay home, not gather with other people… and it’s a far cry from what people had to go through over the past world wars.”

With new businesses ready to open, and existing businesses looking to continue their curbside pickup operations, Jaworsky said individuals attending the continuing Sunday rallies are prolonging the reopening of those businesses, as he asked attendees to “stop this insanity”, arguing that the continuing events are “not something that’s good for the Uptown.”

Whether next week will see the square host another anti-lockdown rally remains to be seen, though Jaworsky expressed that he’s hopeful this past Sunday’s event is the last, adding that we need to return to “looking after our health and reopening businesses”.

“Although the Stay-at-Home Order is no longer in place, there are still rules on gathering. With gatherings set at a very low number, anyone who’s organizing events of size that violate whatever the current gathering number is at that point will certainly face the same evidence gathering and charge laying that we’ve done in the past.”

Both Waterloo Regional Police and City of Waterloo bylaw officials were notably on scene, with a detachment of officers situated in the parkade on the other side of King Street South and inside the Shops at Uptown. Tripod mounted cameras could be seen near officers in the upper levels of the parking garage.

In relation to Sunday’s event, Waterloo Ward 7 Councillor Tenille Bonoguore has since issued an apology on Twitter after being photographed in the public square issuing a “lengthy hand gesture in no particular direction” to show her objection to the rally.

“I did so in the safest way I could imagine; wearing a mask, keeping a distance and being quiet,” wrote Bonoguore. “I want to be clear I was acting as a frustrated private citizen and not in my capacity as a city councillor. This was not a planned communication, but was completely spontaneous.”

“I recognize that the gesture I used was generally inappropriate in a civil society and not something I’d want my children to do. I apologize for this choice of gesture.”

Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky said he's unsure if this breaks any council Code of Conduct rules, but if it did, usually an apology is the remedy, which he acknowledged Bonoguore has done already.

Attendees chant ‘freedom’, as Bernier decries stay at home, emergency orders, closure of businesses and churches.

The PPC leader says he doesn’t recognize Canada anymore, speaks to ‘silent majority’ that need to be shown how to fight, vote for what they believe. @570NEWS pic.twitter.com/gCnIzqCOvq

— Luke Schulz (@lukeontheradio) June 6, 2021

Today, I was out for a bike ride when I came across something that upset me terribly as a private citizen. I watched with dismay as a political gathering in support of someone not from this community, nor this province, came here to lead an illegal gathering that broke the law../

— Tenille Bonoguore (@TenilleUptown) June 6, 2021