In the “How does it feel” category, where were those who are so concerned about protests now but supported those who inflicted inconvenience, mass property damage, injuries and death during protests in 2020? They could care less as it was all happening in mostly poor, black neighborhoods. As truckers participating in a “mostly peaceful”, albeit loud protest for freedom have inconvenienced one fragile 21-year-old, a lawsuit was necessary so she could sleep in peace.
With their GoFundMe account now frozen, the participants in the “Freedom convoy” in Ottawa are now also facing a lawsuit from an Ottawa woman who has opened her case up for others to join as a potential class action. On Friday, Ottawa resident Zexi Li filed a lawsuit in Ontario Superior Court, seeking damages for emotional and mental distress, headaches, sleeping difficulties, difficulty concentrating and interference with quiet enjoyment of her home. “The Class Members are living in daily torment caused by the incessant blasting of truck horns,” reads the statement of claim.
The suit seeks $9.8 million in damages plus costs for participants in the potential class action.
— Toronto Star, 2/4/22
Li won an injunction against the truckers.
Zexi Li is a public servant behind a proposed $9.8-million class action filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, which sought an injunction prohibiting the defendants, or any other participant in the anti-vaccine mandate convoy protest, from using vehicle horns in the vicinity of downtown Ottawa. The court granted the 10-day injunction Monday, banning honking in the area north of the Queensway, the city’s main east-west artery. According to the order, police are now authorized to arrest and remove anyone who they believe is intentionally contravening the order. Typically, such nuisances fall under the city’s bylaws and are subject to a fine.
— CBC, 2/9/22
She shared her emotional “noise torture” ordeal with the Canadian Broadcast Corporation.
It would be nice to know who Li sided with when the United States suffered a wee bit more than inconvenient honking of truck horns….
The vandalism and looting following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police will cost the insurance industry more than any other violent demonstrations in recent history. The protests that took place in 140 U.S. cities this spring were mostly peaceful, but the arson, vandalism and looting that did occur will result in at least $1 billion to $2 billion of paid insurance claims.
— Axios, 9/16/20
Aside from the disruption of movement in and around Ottawa, there are no reports of arson, vandalism or looting at the hands of the Canadian truckers and the only monies now being mentioned is the Canadian government’s seizure of trucker bank accounts and the possible liquidation of trucks confiscated by the Ottawa Police Service.
More than 2,000 law enforcement officers were injured in the first weeks of protests over the summer following the in-custody death of George Floyd, according to a report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association. During that period, there were 8,700 protests nationwide; 574 were declared riots with violence and other criminal acts.
— PoliceMag.com, 12/3/20
The only verified reports of injury in Ottawa are primarily of protesters injured by the very police people like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau protested against less than two years ago.
Nine of the people killed during protests were demonstrators taking part in Black Lives Matter protests. At least 14 more Americans have been killed in other incidents linked to political unrest this summer, including seven people shot during alleged looting of businesses, among them David Dorn, a retired police officer shot during the robbery of a pawn shop in St Louis; two California law enforcement officers murdered by an alleged anti-government “Boogaloo” extremist, one person found dead in a pawn shop in Minneapolis that had been set on fire; an eight-year-old shot to death in Atlanta; and a Louisville restaurant owner who was shot dead by the national guard.
— The Guardian, 10/31/20
Not sure if any of those immediately impacted by Floyd rioters could afford to sue Black Lives Matter for “emotional distress”, and ask black people how easy it is to find a pro bono attorney who’ll take a case.
A neighborhood was unable to sleep because of loud horns from trucks and emotional distress was the toll. It was an “occupation” incomparable with the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) Antifa occupation in Seattle.
It could be argued that was not as bad as the hundreds of thousands of residents across the United States who had trouble sleeping because they didn’t know who could break into their places of business to steal and burn, let alone possibly burn in their own homes because people like Li didn’t want to police anywhere near a poor neighborhood she would ever live in.
We’ll see if Zexi Li has such a respect for laws and enforcement when the next Black Lives Matter protest comes to town.
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