With countless Sudburians affected by the latest round of business shutdowns and restrictions, more than 100 people gathered Sunday to oppose what they consider a strike against their freedoms.
Called the “Freedom Rally,” more than 100 people gathered outside of Bell Park this afternoon to voice their discontent with government-imposed restrictions.
“As soon as the news hit on Wednesday about the lockdown, I was at the gym, and a whole bunch of them lost their jobs – they all got laid off,” rally organizer Connor LaRocque told Sudbury.com before the event kicked off.
“I remember watching one gentleman I knew with two kids walking out of there with his head hanging down, and it just struck me.”
LaRocque, a local entrepreneur specializing in motivational speaking and business marketing, said that ongoing restrictions have had a significant impact on not only people’s finances, but their mental health as well.
“We’re social creatures, we need to be able to come together.”
He said his main message at today’s rally was to protect the most vulnerable, find a solution to keep businesses open and to stop the fear that divides us.
Although LaRocque said he believes in the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic and is an advocate for people to get vaccinated, his main push on Sunday was for people to have the freedom to make their own decisions. This includes their freedom to not get vaccinated, which the vast majority of medical professionals the world over agree is a wrong decision.
Those attending so-called “Freedom Rally” events in the past have dug deep into misinformation and conspiracy theories about the pandemic, and while LaRocque said he intended to veer today’s event toward reality, not everyone got the memo.
Some people carried signs advertising fake news websites while others handed out the fake news publication “Druthers,” which specializes in COVID-related misinformation.
One health-care worker who didn’t follow health-care professionals’ ongoing push to get vaccinated attended today’s rally and said that she is now out of work – a statement that drew outrage and sympathy from the day’s crowd.
As per current provincial health regulations, outdoor gatherings are limited to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors. Sudbury.com did not see any of the more than 100 people attending today’s rally wearing a mask. This, during a time in which experts are urging people to up their mask game in light of the more virulent Omicron variant.
Although some physical distancing was employed at the beginning of the rally while LaRocque delivered a speech, large clusters of people formed immediately thereafter as they socialized.
Among those in attendance was Charles Humphrey, who ran for the Conservative Party of Canada in Nickel Belt during last year’s federal election.
“We’re at a point now where continued restrictions, continued oppression no longer makes any sense,” he said. “This is no longer a public health measure or epidemiological measure, this is a political measure. I think we’ve all reached a point where we’ve gone along, done our part.”
It’s time for Canadians to "take back their rights" and for children to go back to school, he said.
“We can all come together and voice our belief that we’re not very happy with the way things are going as a country.”
As of today, there were 412 COVID-19 patients in Ontario intensive care units and 2,419 people in hospital with the virus. There were also 20 new COVID-related deaths reported in Ontario today.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
