Las Vegas Review Journal

LVRJ Editorial Board

Las Vegas Review-Journal

February 27, 2022 - 9:00 pm

Lawful political protest is a protected right, not an excuse for politicians to expand their power. That’s something U.S. politicians should remember as the truck convoy makes its way across the country.

On Wednesday, truck drivers and big rigs assembled near Victorville, California, to begin a rolling protest. Hundreds gathered at the start of the convoy, although only a couple of dozen trucks started the journey. Drivers can join and leave the caravan as it makes its way across the country. It is supposed to arrive near Washington, D.C. on March 5.

The protest draws inspiration from Canadian truck drivers who temporarily shut down international border crossings and snarled traffic in Ottawa.

Anger over vaccine mandates sparked the initial protest in Canada. That’s a concern of U.S. protesters too. But it’d be a mistake to suggest this is an organized political movement with a bullet-point list of demands. One protest organizer said the group was concerned about fuel prices and immigration too.

The trucker convoy appears to represent people who are fed up about many things. Anger is a great motivator even if those who are upset don’t agree on specifics. Ironically, the success of vaccines is what makes it unnecessary for politicians to extend indefinitely or expand emergency measures to combat COVID.

In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to acts of civil disobedience with sharp rhetoric and authoritarian crackdowns. He invoked Canada’s Emergencies Act, which gave the government sweeping powers. They include allowing the government to freeze bank accounts without a court order. Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti compared the crowdfunding for the truckers to “terrorist financing.” One Canadian politician said a single mom who gave $50 to the convoy’s support fund had her bank account frozen.

That should be completely unacceptable in a Western democracy. Mr. Trudeau revoked the emergency powers on Wednesday.

It’s too flip to claim that dissent is patriotic, but it’s supposed to be allowed. The government shouldn’t be able to freeze your financial assets or ruin your professional career, because you support those who disagree with those in power.

Imagine the reaction if the government froze the bank accounts of Culinary Union members after a Culinary-backed protest blocked traffic. The truckers would be wise to remember that blocking traffic for too long is a sure way to lose the public’s support.

Political discourse rarely looks like formal debate. Violence and lawlessnes shouldn’t be tolerated, but stunts and attention-grabbing protests are par for the course