Category Archives: Freedom

Anyone who walks by Phyllis Riles office is met with the sweet scent of the air freshener she sprays across the room. Vibrant curtains and purple flowers adorn the window and desk, decorating what was once a gray room with bursts of life.

Above her desk is a sign which reads Faith, representing the value she works to embody in her role as project director of Freedom Commons.

Referred to as simply the Commons by those who call it home, the site gives people returning home from incarceration an opportunity to live in a safe and encouraging environment, alongside residents with no criminal backgrounds.

Participants are required to participate in 35 hours of productive activity per week. That could mean volunteering, taking part in specialized programming or working a job. Curfew is 10 p.m., and residents on probation are required to return home by 8 p.m.

Riles said the staff is not trying to restrict residents, but aims to provide structure, support and build discipline to help navigate for their futures.

Its not a control thing. Its preparing them for the next step, she said. I consciously make sure this doesnt feel like a minimum-security prison.

The housing model was created by The Fortune Society at its Castle Gardens site in Harlem more than two decades ago. Syracuses Freedom Commons is the first-ever replication of the model in Upstate New York.

Freedom Commons, which opened during the start of the pandemic in 2020, is run through a partnership between the Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) and the Syracuse Housing Authority (SHA), with technical support from The Fortune Society.

Freedom Commons was named in honor of Syracuses rich history in the anti-slavery movement and its historic significance in the underground railroad, said Andre Ward, associate vice president of The David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy at The Fortune Society.

Syracuses development consists of 54 units 43 affordable housing units and 11 permanent supportive housing units. Additionally, a wing of dormitory-style housing is offered for individuals who would otherwise face homelessness.

At CCA we run something called re-entry advocacy services, and its been a service of ours for many, many years, where we look at barriers to housing, education, employment, (for people who have) a criminal record and how people can overcome those barriers, said David Condliffe, CCAs executive director.

In order to qualify for Freedom Commons Academy, an individual must have been recently released from incarceration with no access to shelter. The academy provides those eligible with emergency housing in the sites dormitory wing along with a case manager and resident advisors to help navigate and adjust to re-entry.

Residents of the academy receive access to a bed and place to store their belongings in a shared room alongside their peers, a communal living room, a dining room, a kitchen and a computer lab to help apply for jobs.

A Structured Environment

Simulating a structured environment that has positive activities in it to help build the capacity of an individual to live a life of contribution is essentially what Freedom Commons Academy is designed to do for people coming home, said Ward, who helps with the programs technical support for The Fortune Society.

Academy participants agree to two terms to stay in the program.

There will not be an act or threat of violence, because in prison, the currency of survival is violence. We need people to adjust to a different way of resolving conflict, Condliffe said.

Riles said time spent getting to know each person who comes through Freedom Commons is a high priority for her.

Everybody comes to the academy/permanent supportive housing with a different need, and a different level of coping, social and life skills. You cant say what thats going to look like until you actually meet the person, sit down with them and spend time, she said.

Im friendly, so Im hands-on. They know my face, and I know their names, and that makes a difference, too, knowing that you know the community in which you work.

Riles sits in on case conferences with the Onondaga County Re-entry Task Force, reviews referrals for potential academy participants and meets with the individuals coming in. She stresses the importance of looking at those referred to the academy as people with a unique set of needs and personal metrics to succeed.

Frank Czereszko, 54, joined the academy program in August 2021. After being released from incarceration for a DWI and leaving the state while on probation, Czereszko stayed at the Salvation Army, like many who return from incarceration.

He met Riles at the weekly group sessions she leads. He received a screening at the CCA to help assess his needs and is now following a path of personalized care to put himself in a better position.

Honestly, its an awesome place for somebody that has it in their mind that they want to get their life back on track, and be in a safe environment where you can have all these tools available to get back on your feet, Czereszko said.

Czereszko is currently working at UPS, and said he is enjoying his time on the job, even though it differs from his previous experience as a professional hairdresser. Describing himself as a goal-oriented person, he spends his time taking advantage of the programs amenities to search for employment opportunities and work on his housing application for one of the developments supportive housing units.

Czereszko said his time at the academy has brought him into a new mindset of acceptance and faith that the universe will place him where he is needed, and that he must prioritize happiness and wellness over monetary wealth.

Its not so much about the money as it is about truly being happy and being able to focus on things that I have put off doing to better myself and also to address personal issues from my past, he said.

He is working to reconnect with family and friends with whom he lost touch and is also utilizing the academys resources to heal past wounds and move forward.

Ive talked to people that I know that stayed at the mission and that are still on the streets, and I have to say, if it wasnt for this place, it wouldve been a lot more challenging for me to be able to get re-established, he said.

Freedom Commons Academy is funded by Onondaga Countys Department of Social Services as emergency housing. Technically, emergency housing is meant to provide people facing homelessness with a place to stay for 30 to 45 days.

Kelly Gonzalez, deputy director at the Syracuse and Rochester Center for Community Alternatives, said the Fortune Society, especially president and chief executive officer JoAnne Page, advised CCA through each step when forming Freedom Commons.

We had never done housing before, she said. JoAnne Page was there from day one from helping us draft and reviewing grant applications to helping us with the design of what it (Freedom Commons) should look like. We were able to visit The Fortune Society, talk to their staff (and) attend a Thursday night meeting.

Holistic Model

This weekly meeting is an integral part of The Fortune Societys holistic re-entry model. It offers a platform for all residents to check in with staff and peers, share hardships, celebrate successes and build community.

Gonzalez explained that CCA will not enforce the emergency housing timeline, as the organization works to support the individual needs and re-entry periods of its residents. Transitional housing entails a more flexible and longer time period for residents to get acclimated and prepare for permanent housing options.

The CCA is working to try and cross-fund its program so the academy can be deemed transitional housing, and in turn receive broader funding from the state and federal government to support the academy, reducing the funding pressure from the county.

Gonzalez believes that the big pitch to remedy the transitional housing hurdle lies within state funding.

More State Dollars

There should be state money for transitional housing, to allow more programs to be able to house folks coming home from prison for longer periods of time, she said. We would love to see more state dollars be put towards the program, so it doesnt just fall to Onondaga County to pay for the program.

Freedom Commons recently added four new beds to the academys housing and is working to certify them as transitional housing beds as opposed to emergency housing beds, which make up the rest of the beds provided. Gonzalez hopes that this will help the program begin to develop transitional housing opportunities for future residents.

Ideally, Gonzalez dreams of a mix between state, county, federal and foundation dollars to support Freedom Commons variety of programs, housing periods (whether they are emergency or transitional) and services, in order to take away the restrictions and stress that come along with sole county funding.

In order to qualify for a permanent supportive housing unit, which consists of fully furnished one- to three-bedroom apartment options, applicants must have either a history of incarceration or be directly impacted by the criminal justice system, a documented disability or life challenge such as mental health or substance abuse issues, be formerly homeless and make an income that is 30 percent of the area median income, which was reported as $79,500 for Syracuse by the U.S. Department of Housing in 2019.

According to Ward, residents in permanent supportive housing have access to services such as case management, literacy services, medical exams, job placement, conflict resolution, legal services, counseling and more.

Some of the units are supported through the SHAs Section 8 vouchers, and the rest have subsidized rent through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI), but all supportive services are covered by the initiative.

The affordable housing units include unfurnished one- to three-bedroom apartments and townhouses, in which applicants must make 50% of the area median income to qualify. Applications are chosen by the SHA Lottery process.

While there are three different housing types at Freedom Commons, Riles said the staff work to care for everyone within the community.

It Has Been a Blessing

Were here for the whole building, and that has been a blessing to be able to support the community as a whole, and not make it feel like its a separate thing. Its two partners, but one goal, Riles said.

She admires the bonds forged between employees and residents.

Here at the Freedom Commons Academy community, were like a family, Riles said. When people feel that kind of energy in a space, theyre gonna want to come back, and thats what Im most proud of.

As she works through the harder days on the job, Riles reminds herself of the beautiful connections created at Freedom Commons and how they are living examples of her favorite Gandhi quote:

Where theres love theres life.

This story was originally published by The Stand, a newspaper that covers the South Side of Syracuse. It appears here as part of the SoJo Exchange from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems.

Read more:

Freedom Commons Offers Affordable, Supportive and Emergency Options for the Formerly Incarcerated - Next City

Brussels, February 14, 2022 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen must speak out on media freedom when she meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi this week, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday.

Egyptian President el-Sisi has systematically attacked the press, imprisoned journalists, and silenced critical voices, said Tom Gibson, CPJs EU representative. The European Commission should abide by its values and demand during el-Sisis upcoming visit that Egyptian authorities cease their repression of the media. The commission cannot let business carry on as usual.

Von der Leyen is scheduled to receive el-Sisi at a meeting on February 17, while he is in Brussels to attend a summit between the European Union and the African Union.

In its 2021 prison census, CPJ documented at least 25 journalists in detention in Egypt, making it the worlds third-worst jailer of journalists. Egyptian authorities have repeatedly harassed and censored journalists through legal threats, surveillance, and imprisonment.

Read this article:

CPJ calls on European Commission to stand for press freedom during el-Sisi visit - CPJ Press Freedom Online

The Department of Homeland Security said in a memo that it has received reports truck drivers may attempt to block roads at major events to protest vaccine mandates. This Sundays Super Bowl in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium is a likely target, according to an internal memo cited by several major media outlets.

Also potentially a target is President Bidens March 1 State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.

The DHS memo was issued Tuesday by the departments Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Current and Emerging Threats Center. While there are no threats of violence mentioned, the memo claims anything that happens could severely disrupt traffic, emergency routes, and federal government operations.

Like the Canada Freedom Convoy protests that snowballed as truckers joined in, social media posts indicate US truckers will start protests in California and journey to Washington, D.C., adding more truckers, the memo says. In Canada, the Freedom Convoy has been disruptive to traffic on the border and in the capital city of Ottawa.

Read the original here:

Super Bowl May Be Disruption Target By Trucker Protests Mimicking Canada Freedom Convoy - Deadline

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This is a rush transcript from "Tucker Carlson Tonight," February 11, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (via phone): They do not belong in office. They are a danger to our country. They do not belong in office.

JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: I have announced it. We are defunding the squad, you heard it here first.

Check out Tucker next and always remember, I'm Watters and this is my world.

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Good evening and welcome to TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT.

After months of informing the rest of us that Ukraine's territorial integrity is more important than our own, it looks like the Biden ministration may finally be getting the conflict it has longed for.

Multiple outlets are reporting tonight that Russian military units may soon move across the border into Eastern Ukraine. There are a number of credible indications of this, including the fact that Russian ground forces appear to be heading from training areas to assembly points.

At the White House, officials have said they expect the Russians to move imminently within days. They have been saying that for quite some time, but this feels a little different, which is why we're bringing it to you tonight.

According to POLITICO, Joe Biden has told fellow NATO members that day could be February 16th. That's next Wednesday. We'll see.

In the meantime, at a briefing today, the National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan called for American citizens to leave Ukraine right away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We encourage all American citizens who remain in Ukraine to depart immediately. We want to be crystal clear on this point.

Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible, and in any event in the next 24 to 48 hours. We obviously cannot predict the future. We don't know exactly what is going to happen, but the risk is now high enough, and the threat is now immediate enough that this is what prudence demands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: So a good number of the Americans, Jake Sullivan, just referred to currently serve in the U.S. military, as well as in various intelligence agencies. FOX News reported that as of a few days ago, there are more than 300 American troops in Ukraine, including some unspecified number of Special Operations Forces.

If a hot war does indeed begin, all of these Americans will be in danger of being killed. So the question is, will our troops leave before the shooting starts? This show asked the DoD Spokesman John Kirby that question today.

Quote: "As of this moment," Kirby replied, "They are still there." So when will they get out? We asked. Kirby wouldn't say.

Whatever happens between Russia and Ukraine, the United States will be at the center of it and that is worrisome. It's not hard to imagine how the next few days could go very wrong, very fast. Russian troops kill American troops inadvertently or not, and suddenly, we're at war with Russia, a nuclear armed nation whose military is stronger than all the armies we fought over the past 50 years combined.

Fighting Russia is not the same as droning Muammar Gaddafi, it can quickly become a war we couldn't control. Our side of that war would be overseen by the same Generals who failed to beat the Taliban, guerrilla fighters in sandals who don't use toilet paper.

To be clear, the United States military is superb, but the people who run it are not. That's not some outlier opinion. It is demonstrably true.

Given that fact, you've got to wonder if the Biden administration's current wild posturing -- and it is wild. Is it worth the risk? We're open minded on that question. If it is worth fighting Russia, tell us how it's worth it.

Explain how joining a conflict in progress in Eastern Europe would benefit the United States, not just benefit Joe Biden who is obviously desperate for distraction from his domestic disasters. But how would war with Russia make us stronger and more prosperous? That's a fair question. It's the central question.

And while you're at it, tell us why if the Russians are such a grave threat to Europe, the Europeans seem a lot less concerned than we are. Biden keep suggesting that Vladimir Putin wants to swallow Western Europe. If you don't act now, they'll be speaking Russian in Dusseldorf.

But if that's true, why aren't the Western Europeans scrambling to defend themselves? They could certainly afford to. Germany is one of the richest countries in the world. In many ways, Germans have a higher standard of living than we do. Yet after 80 years, we are still paying for their defense.

Is there a good reason for that? Could it be that defending Western Europe from Russia is a pretext for other goals? Goals that remain largely hidden from the American public?

Again, it is worth asking those questions and then demanding clear and logical answers to them. In fact, it is essential to do that. A lot hangs in the balance.

In the current environment, however, it's not easy. Skepticism is immediately denounced as disloyalty. Ask why we ought to fight Putin and the hyenas on CNN will accuse you of working for Putin. Take it from us.

We're going to keep asking anyway.

For a rational conversation on this subject, we're honored tonight to be joined by a rational person, the former Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard. Congresswoman, thanks so much for coming on today.

TULSI GABBARD, FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Thank you.

CARLSON: So let's just -- and it is hard to know what to believe always and especially now, but let's just stipulate, agree to agree that it seems likely we could see some conflict between Russia and Ukraine soon. How should we view that?

GABBARD: Well, first of all, President Biden could end this crisis and prevent a war with Russia by doing something very simple, guaranteeing that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO. Because if Ukraine became a member of NATO, that would put us and NATO troops directly on the doorstep of Russia, which, as Putin has laid out, would undermine their national security interests.

The reality is that it is highly, highly unlikely that Ukraine will ever become a member of NATO anyway. So the question is, why doesn't President Biden and NATO leaders actually just say that and guarantee it, which begs the question of why are we in this position then if the answer to this and preventing this war from happening is very clear as day and really, it just points to one conclusion that I can see, which is they actually want Russia to invade Ukraine?

Why would they? Because number one, it gives the Biden administration a clear excuse to go and levy draconian sanctions, which are a modern day siege against Russia and the Russian people. And number two, it cements this Cold War in place.

You know, the military industrial complex is the one that benefits from this. They clearly control the Biden administration, warmongers on both sides in Washington have been drumming up these tensions. If they get Russia to invade Ukraine, then again, it locks in this new Cold War. The military industrial complex starts to make a ton of more money than they have been in fighting al-Qaeda or making weapons for al-Qaeda.

And who pays the price? The American people pay the price, the Ukrainian people pay the price. The Russian people pay the price. It undermines our own national security, but the military industrial complex that controls so many of our politicians wince and they run to the bank.

CARLSON: You've seen this from both sides as a lawmaker and a member of our Armed Forces. So I think you've got a credible view on this.

I just have to ask, they've been telling us with increasing hysteria, Wendy Sherman and Jake Sullivan and the President himself that the threat here is to Western Europe that Vladimir Putin has aims on our allies in Western Europe.

Why don't the Europeans seem as afraid as our leaders are, if that's true?

GABBARD: I think that is a legitimate question that no one in the Biden administration or the NATO leadership has responded to in any way. It seems they've forgotten that they are supposed to be accountable to the American people, that they answer to the American people, and yet they have failed to answer this very, very simple question in justifying why we are continuing to send more troops to Europe, why they are continuing to escalate tensions, why they are continuing to push for something and making Ukraine a member of NATO that, again, is highly unlikely to ever happen.

And if it did happen, it would undermine our own National Security and our own country's interests.

CARLSON: There doesn't seem an upside. I mean, no one has been able to explain why Americans should want Ukraine to join NATO. Is there something that we're missing here? Is there some benefit to the United States from having that happen?

GABBARD: I've looked at this carefully, Tucker, and I have yet to find any benefit that a political leader has used or could use to justify this to the American people. All you hear is like, well, we have to defend democracy. We have to defend this democratic country of Ukraine.

But as you know, very well, this current President shuts down -- arrests, political opposition, throws them in jail, shuts down TV stations that are critical to him. I have a hard time seeing how President Biden or anyone can say with an honest face, we are defending democracy.

And the reason is because our own government has publicly supported these authoritarian actions by the Ukrainian President in shutting down their own political opposition. And it begs the question, this sounds familiar to some of the things that unfortunately, we're seeing play out right here at home.

CARLSON: I was just about to say, it sounds like they're kind of democracy.

Tulsi Gabbard, that's about the smartest analysis I've heard, and I really appreciate you laying it out for us. Thank you.

GABBARD: Thanks.

CARLSON: So the standoff on the -- speaking of borders -- American and Canadian border continues. You're hearing a lot about how the truckers are racist. Why are they telling us that? Why are they hysterical about truck drivers? Because they feel deeply threatened by the disobedience. Very revealing. We'll tell you how, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLSON: So we've been covering this truck strike in Canada all week and at the end of the week, there are a couple of different images that kind of float around your head, picture the cops stealing the fuel from the freezing truckers, you picture the smiling truckers talking about love and waving Canadian flags, totally nonthreatening.

But above all, you remember the hysteria of the people in charge as they look out on the sea of working class people who are really sick of being pushed around, told what to inject into their bodies.

The people in charge are extremely upset about this, hysterical and it is hilarious. You can just picture our Transportation Secretary, little Pete Buttigieg jumping up and down, shaking his little hands, screaming at the truck drivers, "Get off my bridge, you guys. Get off right now."

It's not just Mayor Pete. You remember those angry tweets of that CNN contributor lady who suggested we should slash their tires, siphon their diesel fuel, throw them in prison. They're all Torquemada now.

They're talking like they're scary, but keep in mind, these are not displays of power. This is not how confident people talk. These are squeaks of impotence.

Our leaders are furious at the truckers because they know there's not a lot they can do about the truckers. They don't know anything about trucks for one thing. How do you get a truck off a bridge, especially when it has no fuel or tires? They have no idea. You just order someone to do it. It's kind of like Uber Eats. Some guy trots out and removes the truck.

The problem is, the people who drive the trucks don't feel like following orders anymore. They're ignoring Pete Buttigieg. If you actually want to move a big rig, you need tow truck operators, and those tow truck operators know truckers. They know truckers aren't racist. They're not Nazis, no matter how many times Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau claim they are.

So some of them aren't inclined to help. David Allen, for example, is the President of Gary's Towing in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He told Canadian media quote: "We have all the capabilities on our tow trucks to do it, but I don't think anyone would want to."

Another tow truck operator called Randy Juan said that even if tow truck operators want to help, carry out Pete Buttigieg's orders, it will be very hard, quote, "In the end the truckers are going to say whether you're taking that truck away or not."

Now, there are technical reasons for this, which apparently they don't teach at McKinsey. It turns out that trucks are heavy. They have air brakes and steel belted tires. So, the truckers remove their tires completely. So what now? Now is when you start to panic, and they definitely are.

This afternoon, the Prime Minister of Canada who clearly is Fidel Castro's illegitimate son, came out from hiding to threaten the protesters directly. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: If you join the protests, because you're tired of COVID, you now need to understand you are breaking laws. The consequences are becoming more and more severe.

You don't end up losing your license, end up with a criminal record, which will impact your job, your livelihood, even your ability to travel internationally, including to the U.S.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: You could be breaking laws, that was the funniest part. These are people who literally don't care about the law at all. They believe they make the law.

This is the Prime Minister who ordered the cops to steal people's fuel. There's no law that says you can't have fuel in Ottawa. He just made that up. Now, he is lecturing them about the law. And Joe Biden who is violating Federal law on the grand scale every day by importing two million people illegally without your consent, he is upset about the law.

Justin Trudeau is so upset, he is threatening the truckers' children, quote: "It's time to go home, especially if you have your kids with you." Trudeau said, wouldn't want something to happen to them.

Trudeau also attacked the protesters for closing the border. Only Justin Trudeau is allowed to do that, which he has done for more than a year.

So what are we watching here? It's more than hypocrisy. What we're watching is panic.

Justin Trudeau knows nobody joined the protest because they're quote, "tired of COVID." They're tired of tyranny. They're tired of being told to inject something into their bodies they don't want, whose long term effects cannot be known, sold by companies that are protected, that have immunity from public recourse.

We also know that what they told us to do didn't work. The lockdowns didn't work. Johns Hopkins came out and said it the other day, pretty conclusive. That's what people are mad about. They want their freedom back. They're not tired of the virus. They're tired of the leaders who use the virus to give themselves more power, and they're still doing it.

Here is Ontario's premier Doug Ford. He announced today that instead of lifting his province's useless mandates, he's going to steal the truckers' money, find them, and then send them to jail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG FORD, ONTARIO'S PREMIER: There will be consequences for these actions, and they will be severe. We've already started by going after the money funding the illegal occupation yesterday and Ontario Court granted our requests to freeze the funds from GiveSendGo for the convoy.

Fines for noncompliance will be severe with a maximum penalty of $100,000.00 and up to a year imprisonment. We will also provide additional authority to consider taking away the personal and commercial licenses of anyone who doesn't comply with these orders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: When you start making threats like that, you've already lost. What you're showing is that you're impotent and that is why you're unreasonable. That's why you're hysterical. That's why you're waving your arms around and telling people they are going to prison.

When you start stealing things from people, outside the laws, speaking of the law, everybody knows you're weak.

So keep in mind, the truckers raised $10 million on GoFundMe. That's a California company, but Canadian politicians had that effort shut down, then GiveSendGo, which is a Delaware company raised almost the same amount and Canadian politicians went after that money, too.

The Attorney General of Ontario successfully got a Court order to freeze access to the $8.4 million raised on GiveSendGo, those funds are going to an adopted trucker fundraising campaign. It was paying for quote, "... housing, water, food, accommodations and shuttle services for truck drivers in Ottawa." But all of that money has just been stolen by the Canadian government, it has been seized.

All of this is pushing people away from government issued currencies because they're in control of lunatics like the guy you just saw and they are moving toward cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Just like 18-wheelers and bridges, blockchain is pretty tough for the authorities to control. Therefore, here is how you know it's a threat. The crypto guys must be White supremacist, and lo and behold, that's exactly what they're now telling us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an avenue, not just to make a lot of money or lose a lot of money, but it's also an avenue for money laundering and it is also a place where White supremacists, apparently are taking options.

I mean, it's problematic, at best, in so many ways.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: It's problematic at best -- how do people like that get on television? There should be an IQ requirement. But by putting dumb people in the anchor chair, they're perfectly compliant to the people in charge. Crypto is White supremacy. But the hysteria gives them away.

As a trucker called Daniel Searsly (ph) explained in Ottawa last night, these people are terrified. They're afraid of losing control, the blockade at the Windsor Bridge panicked them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID SEARSLY, TRUCKER: They blocked the Ambassador Bridge. Yea, that's the busiest border crossing in between Canada and U.S.A. Most trade goes through that port. So it's ending up good, you know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: So the downside of all of this is, it is turning Canada into a legitimate police state for real. Here's one of Doug's Ford's police officers harassing a woman at her home because something she wrote on Facebook in support of the truckers. It's one of the creepiest clips you're going to see today. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLICE OFFICER: This is just some information about peaceful protests. That's all it is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay, so you saw something on my Facebook?

POLICE OFFICER: No, on the Facebook group.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, the Ontario Provincial Police are watching what people are doing on Facebook in different groups, whether or not they're commenting, participating, liking, and you guys are now doing service calls to give people information about peaceful protests.

POLICE OFFICER: It's just a proactive measure to make sure you understand your right to go to a peaceful protests.

See more here:

Tucker: 'Impotent' leaders are threatening the 'Freedom Convoy' because they lost - Fox News

The freedom movement, initially centred around anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine sentiment, saw protesters take to the streets, particularly in Melbourne, every weekend for almost two years to reject COVID health measures.

Last year, as lockdowns lifted, the movements leaders shifted their attention to vaccine mandates. This year protesters have descended on Canberra, including on Saturday, talking about everything from the dangers of vaccination to QAnon-adjacent theories about paedophiles within the Australian government.

Convoy to Canberra protesters marching towards the parliamentary triangle in Canberra on Saturday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

At the extreme edges are those who claim they are willing, as sovereign citizens, to launch a full government takeover violent or otherwise.

In his latest annual threat assessment, delivered this week, the boss of Australias counter-espionage agency ASIO, Mike Burgess, highlights growing concern about online radicalisation during the pandemic, noting vaccine mandates and lockdowns had fuelled extremism that is not specifically left or right-wing.

More time in those online environments without some ofthe circuitbreakersof everyday life, like family and community engagement, school and work created more extremists, he wrote.

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The federal government this month announced it would commit more than $60 million to countering violent extremism amid an increase in conspiracy theories during the pandemic and concerns about MPs safety, and on Wednesday the Victorian Greens secured a parliamentary inquiry into the growing threat and influence of far-right extremism in Victoria for the same reasons.

But another complex problem has been left in the pandemics wake: the path back for thousands of individuals whose lives, livelihoods and personal relationships are in tatters after going down the rabbit hole of these conspiracy theories.

While the path is different for each person, experts and former conspiracy theorists say we urgently need to better understand why and how this descent happens.

Just before the emergence of COVID-19 in early 2020, Jackson was working part-time as a musician; composing music for productions, gigging around Melbournes suburbs in cover bands and teaching guitar. Victorias initial six-week lockdown drove her out of work. She had no real social interaction for more than two months.

At home, scrolling on her phone, she found anti-lockdown groups starting to call out what they saw as overly harsh measures from an increasingly dangerous police state.

I stumbled across some things on the internet, and I was like oh this makes sense, I dont want to be locked down, she says. She cant remember the specific video or post that first touched her conspiracy nerve, but she became a big fan of influencers such as Monica Smit of Reignite Democracy Australia a lobby group backing Craig Kelly and the United Australia Party Smits partner, podcaster Morgan Jonas, and Avi Yemini from Canada-based right-wing commentary website Rebel News.

I was slowly finding myself getting brainwashed, Jackson says. I kept looking into conspiracy theories, including QAnon. I started rooting for Donald Trump, which was ridiculous. Being trans hes not very favourable to us.

Once a born again Christian, Jackson had left her faith over a decade earlier, ousted from her church for coming out as transgender. It was a deeply wounding experience she still has trouble talking about.

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Ive sort of been a little bit of a loner [since], she says. I found a bit of community in the anti-lockdown movement.

She became a regular on the front line at Melbournes anti-lockdown rallies, coming onto polices radar for disseminating a handbook on how to thwart officers at protests.

I got sucked in big time to the point where I was doing ... very dodgy illegal stuff that Im ashamed of now, but at the time I thought it was totally justified, she says.

Shes visibly distressed about the abuse she hurled at police on the front line.

I gave them so much shit, I called them every name under the [sun], she says.

The trouble for policymakers and concerned family members is a lack of information available to help them navigate relationships with loved ones who have succumbed to misinformation.

Freedom protesters at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on September 22, 2021.Credit:Eddie Jim

Conspiracy theories are not new, but in the internet age they grow and morph quickly. Pre-pandemic, QAnon a theory that the world is run by a cabal of paedophiles who drink the blood of children was dominant online. Evidence from online support groups suggests that now the overlap between QAnon and anti-vaccination sentiment is strong.

One of the moderators of the 230,000-person Reddit page QAnon Casualties is Sydney man Jitarth Jadeja. Five years ago, he returned to Sydney from a university exchange in the United States and was living at home, studying part-time with no job or partner. He became increasingly obsessed with US politics. I was really basically on my own, on the internet just all day, every day.

He was shocked when Donald Trump unexpectedly won the presidential election in 2016. His worldview was shattered, and he questioned how it could have happened, searching for alternative media and less mainstream social media platforms. Before long, he fell deep into the fast-growing worldwide conspiracy theory of QAnon.

Eighteen months later, a series of lightbulb moments made him realise QAnon was a con (he wrote about this experience in a Reddit post which later went viral). He has since talked publicly about his experience, of going down the rabbit hole and climbing back out, to help others understand why people believe in conspiracy movements.

One thing Ive found, and this is anecdotal, but I really have found this to be a common trait is that theres [often] some sort of preceding trauma that occurs before someone falls down a rabbit hole, Jadeja says.

For me it was finding out I had ADHD ...I think people forget that when COVID hit it was very traumatic for everyone. It happened very quickly.

I dont think it was just that people were online more often. People are online all day at work. But it was a trauma I think people were traumatised and they went looking for answers. So that really expedited the whole conspiracy situation.

Research has suggested that conspiracy theories often prosper in times of crisis, with a 2017 study finding that during times of societal upheaval, peoples experiences of fear, uncertainty and being out of control stimulate a motivation to make sense of the situation, increasing their likelihood of turning to conspiracies.

Another study, published in 2018, found that the emotions which make up the psychological origins of believing in conspiracy theories include anxiety, uncertainty, or lacking control. Research conducted by psychology experts in Britain shows that belief in conspiracy theories is particularly strong among people with unsatisfied psychological needs.

Colin Klein, an associate professor at ANUs School of Philosophy, has studied online conspiracy theory communities. Many people assume the path into misinformation and conspiracy theories is similar to that of a virus, where people bounce around online, get exposed to misinformation and get infected.

Instead, his teams research, which analysed a large set of Reddit comments, found that those susceptible to conspiracy theories tend to seek out fringe and conspiracy forums because it fits with either how theyre thinking about the world or experiences theyve had.

And so it looks like people arent just passive consumers of information. Theyre working towards finding stuff that makes sense to them, or makes sense of the world for them.

For Jackson, it was her experience with Victoria Police that planted the seed for her escape.

In late May last year, at her last freedom protest, she was encouraged by other protesters to throw herself in front of police after receiving a move-on notice.

Police arrested her, while she says the others ran away. I was kind of thinking, where the hell are my friends? she recalls. They all just buggered off and left me.

I was confused ... so I didnt give the police a hard time at all. And they said, Look, were going to give you a move-on because youve been so cooperative.

The following week Jackson was arrested at home and taken in for questioning over her role in the protests and the anti-police booklet circulating online.

When the formal interview was over, she says officers spoke to her candidly about their life, their families and how difficult it had been working on the front line during the pandemic, showing sympathy for her struggles with her gender and mental health. I realised, these arent the Gestapo or anything I had it all wrong.

I had tears when I was just talking candidly with them just saying, God how have I f---ed my life up like this?

Police didnt lay charges that day, and offered Jackson a lift home.

I said, no, actually, I wouldnt mind walking. I need to think about my life.

Jackson went home and fell into a deep, days-long depressive spell, during which she self-harmed. By this point she had lost ties with her extended family, had a criminal record and felt she had been manipulated.

Around this time she found others online who had grown sceptical of the movement, and had begun questioning the extraordinary amounts of money being raised. This and follow-up welfare visits by the police were the final impetus for her to leave the freedom movement.

The weight that came off my shoulders instantly it was unbelievable, she says.

If I didnt leave, I would have probably ended up in some sort of psych ward or something. When you believe that strongly in something and that the police are coming for you, the governments coming for you, youre going to get sent to a concentration camp.

I used to be in my apartment and Id have the door barricaded with a couch and tables. Id booby-trapped the windows.

It was consuming and eating me away. Totally just destroying my soul and my friendships I lost a lot of friends.

It was consuming and eating me away. Totally just destroying my soul and my friendships.

Jadeja, whose father still believes in QAnon after he introduced him to it, says trying to reason with those caught up in conspiracy theories is fruitless.

Focus on their behaviour rather than their beliefs. Chances are if they believe in this, their behaviour changed ... they become more anxious, theyve become more agitated, more aggressive, they cant not talk about it ... so focus on their behaviour, he says.

Jitarth Jadeja says the focus needs to be on behaviour, not contesting beliefs.Credit:60 Minutes/Nine News

Say its fine, I dont care what you believe, but that doesnt explain why you havent done the dishes or picked up Jamie from soccer the last two Sundays in a row.

Jadeja hopes that sharing his story and the lessons he and others have learned can increase conversation around de-radicalisation. Now more than ever, being able to better understand the influences that lead people to QAnon and other conspiracies is crucial, he says.

They say tinfoil hat brigade. What has that got to do with a goddamn thing? Youre acting like these people are crazy, like they belong in a nuthouse. These people go to work. They have family. And they believe you are a part of a controlling cabal, and they will justify incredible misdeeds as a justification for righting wrongs. And that includes violence, he says.

I just dont think that anyone has quite grasped how serious the situation is.

Those who come out of the rabbit hole should be able to find a path back to normality without being shamed, he says. There has to be some sort of pathway back to polite society for most of these people because most of them havent done anything. If there isnt, then theres no incentive for them to come back.

Jackson says she is now getting her life back on track. Shes recently moved house for a fresh start after a long period of recovery living with her parents, and this week is going back to university to study a masters degree in music. She recently recovered from COVID-19 too, a mild case she attributes to now being vaccinated.

She becomes emotional when she talks about her extended family, who welcomed her back at Christmas.

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The biggest moving part for me was seeing my nieces, she says. I didnt see my nieces for like eight months, and I love my nieces. And just seeing them again was amazing.

I was expecting I was going to have to spend [Christmas] by myself and I got a call from my brother the day before and he said, Youre more than welcome. Whats in the past is in the past, and were glad that youre safe and that youre out of that.

Ash still keeps an eye on the movement, which was responsible for a fire at Old Parliament House in December and has now set up a permanent camp at the Canberra Showgrounds with leaders claiming to stay put until the government is cleaned out.

Amid calls for an end to vaccine mandates and vaccine passports are speeches about the paedophile cabal by leaders who have repeatedly called for MPs to be hanged.

Last week convoy leader James Greer, who raised almost $200,000 in crowdfunding for the protest, was arrested after police found a loaded rifle and ammunition in his car at the protest campground.

Its so different to what it was even a year ago, says Jackson. I can fully see some sort of domestic terrorist thing happen.

She believes most people will have to hit rock bottom themselves in order to leave the movement, and hopes her story helps others.

I still care about some of these people, you know? I hope they can get out.

Have information about this story? Email the journalists securely at rachaeldexter@protonmail.com and sfoxkoob@protonmail.com

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Falling into the freedom movement ... and getting out - The Age

Waukesha trucker Carl Tharp-Porter told "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Thursday he would support an American freedom convoy to fight for the "freedom of choice."

OTTAWA FREEDOM CONVOY: NONPROFIT SETS UP FREE LEGAL HOTLINE TO ASSIST TRUCKERS

CARL THARP-PORTER: Of course, with America being a forefront of freedom, all right, we've always.. It's in my blood to fight for what's right. And I believe that having the freedom of choice, which our Canadian brethren is actually just trying to get and receive, I think that it's a no-brainer. You know, why not stand on the forefront with those guys? And show our solidarity with that country and say, hey we are against mandates; we are against force; we are against tyranny of government. We want the same thing that everybody else wakes up and deserves. That is the freedom of choice. So I've always been growing up to know that it's my body, my choice. What's going on now?

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US trucker reveals why he would support a 'Freedom Convoy' in America: We are against government tyranny - Fox News

McCarthy knows as well as anyone that the Freedom Caucus made its name by undercutting GOP leaders, having seen his own path to the speakership blocked in 2015 in part by some of its members. Things are different these days, with the California Republican on an apparent glide path to the speakers gavel after years of courting his conservatives.

While Rep. John Katko announced his retirement only last month, a trio of Freedom Caucus members is eyeing his senior GOP seat on the Homeland Security Committee.|Alex Wong/Getty Images

The race to replace Katko on the committee, then, may be as much of a test of how aggressively the Freedom Caucus pushes for more power as it is of McCarthys willingness to appease the right.

The final decision is a long way off, made by a GOP steering panel typically stocked with leadership allies, but Republicans are already jockeying to succeed Katko on Homeland Security. While Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) no longer serves on the panel, the new Freedom Caucus chief previously ran against Katko for the top committee spot in 2020 and now he says he will be honored if Im considered again.

Two other current members of the Trump-aligned Freedom Caucus currently serve on the panel and are also laying the groundwork for their bid: Reps. Clay Higgins (R-La.) and Dan Bishop (R-N.C.). So far, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) is the only rank-and-file member outside of the conservative group whos seeking the role. The veteran prosecutor said hes already spoken to McCarthy to express interest.

I will tell you that I was encouraged in the meeting because [McCarthy] also recognized the fact that my background would be the type of background that would be very good for Homeland Security, Guest said, adding that his experience would hopefully work for some sort of smooth transition as Katko retires, if I was able to take over the committee.

But you know, thats a long way off, he added.

The Freedom Caucus is not currently making a concerted push for members to get the Homeland Security gavel, but that could change; prominent members said they want to see more of their own involved in party leadership roles.

I personally would love to see more conservatives at the table, said Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), a founding member of the group. If you look at the numbers, we make up a sizable part of the conference. And if were asking for a seat at the table or our voices to be heard thats just normal.

First-term lawmaker Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), a Freedom Caucus board member, echoed Duncan and argued that leadership roles shouldnt be based on seniority.

I dont think that it should be seniority-driven. Thats not how I got here, Boebert said. I didnt work my way up the ladder or wait my turn to have a seat in Congress. And I dont think that Congress should operate that way either.

Multiple Republicans stressed the importance of seniority as the conference weighs its committee leaders, but House GOP history is replete with cases of the leadership-allied Steering panel advancing rank-and-file members over more conservative rabble-rousers. Roughly two years ago, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) snagged the top Oversight Committee role rather than four Freedom Caucus members who had panel seniority, though at least one had also chafed leadership in the past.

Following Katkos retirement, Higgins would be the next most-senior eligible Republican on the dais after Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), whos already the partys top member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and term-limited out of contention. After that, Guest would be the second most-senior contender, followed by Bishop.

When asked about his bid in the context that Freedom Caucus members have been previously passed over, Higgins replied: I am not necessarily the description of the kind of fella that would normally ascend to a position like that within this body, but I am exactly the kind of fella that America needs in a chair right now. Im a boots-on-the-ground, actual cop.

As McCarthy and his allies weigh Katkos successor on the committee, they can look to one prominent example of a Freedom Caucus member who came into their fold: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a co-founder of the famously combative group. While members of the Steering panel warned McCarthy about installing Jordan as the partys top Oversight panel member in 2018, the Ohioan has since won over McCarthy and the Steering panel naysayers.

Lately Jordan, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, serves as an informal intermediary between the Freedom Caucus and leadership. And Jordan is rooting for Bishop to ascend on Homeland Security, saying that he plans to advocate for it to McCarthy.

Bishop pointed to Jordans rise from leadership antagonist to McCarthy ally as a template hed like to follow.

It is important to be on the team, but push the team in order to do the right things, Bishop said in an interview.

While Jordan has McCarthys ear, its unclear how much he can help Bishop, one of his closest friends in the House. The North Carolinian may have alienated some Steering panel members by calling for Katko to be removed from the Homeland Security committees top GOP spot last year during a short-lived Freedom Caucus-driven push to punish the retiring centrist for a series of bipartisan votes he took this Congress.

Different members of the current Steering panel had varying views on the state of the playing field and favored different Katko successors when asked: Some said they see Guest as the best; others said Guest, Perry and Higgins are all on even footing. Some didnt like that Higgins suggested, in a letter after Katkos retirement announcement, that he planned to run for the role whether or not Katko stuck around.

If Perry were to get the partys top Homeland Security role, some colleagues privately fear that his more radical views could do serious damage to the panel. Though others predicted he could balance the Freedom Caucus chair role with committee work, given that both positions focus on border security.

And several Republicans suggested that, should Perry pull a Jordan-style move of his own and convince McCarthy he can stay on side while leading the party on Homeland Security, that could deliver the GOP leader a big get: a cooperative House Freedom Caucus chair.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the nature of the punishment that some Freedom Caucus members sought for Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.).

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Freedom Caucus members square off for a plum post with all eyes on McCarthy - POLITICO

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In his 2022 State of the State address Wednesday, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont joined a handful of fellow Democrats in rolling back some of their coronavirus-era restrictions, saying at one point of the sunsetting school mask mandate, "from a public health perspective, you have earned this freedom."

"I appreciate the authority you have granted me to keep this state safe for almost two years during the pandemic. But I am even more appreciative of each and every one of the residents who stepped up and did the right thing for themselves, their families and their communities," Lamont said from the legislative chamber in Hartford.

MASK MANDATES EASED ACROSS US AS COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS DROP BELOW 100,000

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont delivers the State of the State address during opening session at the State Capitol, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

"I know that we can do it safely. Our Department of Public Health [via Commissioner] Manisha Juthani will provide clear guidance along the way."

The power, he said, would rest with local school boards.

The Connecticut Republican Party later responded to Lamont's choice of words, saying in a statement on social media, "We are born free. Freedom is not granted by government FYI, Gov. Ned Lamont."

The first three words of the Constitution, "We the people," and the Declaration of Independence states: "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont speaks to reporters at Gay City State Park in Hebron, Conn. on Thursday May 21, 2020. The governor held his daily COVID-19 briefing for the media at the park in advance of the Memorial Day weekend. (AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb)

Connecticut's official nickname is the Constitution State.

Lamont went on to say that he has been closely working with neighboring state governors throughout the pandemic.

Early in the pandemic, several northeastern governors aligned to communicate about the ebb and flow of some restrictions.

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Lamont said Connecticut residents now have the "tools and experience" to keep themselves safe, and he lauded the state for being one of the "best-vaccinated in the country."

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Connecticut governor says 'you have earned this freedom' as he rolls back school mask mandate - Fox News

In the face of a looming Freedom Convoy-style protest of its own this weekend, New Brunswick has moved swiftly to take what can only be construed as preventative measures.

But observers are questioning whether in making it illegal to organize, participate in or offer other support for such a protest the East Coast province may have driven over a line.

I dont agree at all with what (the protesters are) talking about, but I do like the fact that were in a free country and we have the right to protest, Kerri Froc, associate professor at the University of New Brunswicks Faculty of Law, said Thursday.

Any time that the state tries to tamp down that protest, they have to do so in a way that is reasonable, thats measured, thats proportionate.

The New Brunswick government revised its Mandatory Order for COVID-19 on Wednesday a process it goes through every couple of weeks. This time, though, the move came ahead of a demonstration expected to hit Fredericton this weekend, in a show of support for the convoy now occupying downtown Ottawa to protest vaccine mandates and health restrictions.

Accordingly, there was a new twist to the governments revision of its emergency order. Section 34 now prohibits the full or partial blockading of any roadway in the province and bans the gathering of people along any roadway so as to create a safety risk.

In enforcement terms, the revised order gives police the power to seize any motor vehicle involved in a blockade and to seize any supplies delivered in support of any such blockade. It also gives the province the power to fine individuals $3,000 to $10,000, and to suspend for 12 months the drivers licence of anyone convicted of breaching the section.

The new measures are similar to those implemented in other jurisdictions, said Premier Blaine Higgs. Just prior to the convoy arriving in Ottawa, Nova Scotia enacted a similar emergency measures prohibiting protests blocking or partially blocking highways, specifically citing the highway near the New Brunswick border.

It gives police the ability to act as necessary to avoid a situation like Ottawa, Higgs said.

New Brunswicks revised order, however, also contains a paragraph that bans participation, organization or financing or other support including food, fuel, construction materials and noise making implements for such a protest.

Higgs changed the order while at the same time announcing progressively loosening COVID restrictions for the province because public health data indicated it, not because of the protests, he insisted. He held out the hope, though, that the coming easing of restrictions would take the air out of Fredericton protesters sails.

Im hopeful that protesters who are there for the right reasons will find no reason to be there. And the ones that do show up, we have to question why.

Although New Brunswicks revised orders may ultimately help to fend off the kind of occupation in Fredericton that has paralyzed much of Ottawa, questions have to be asked about both the orders platform and their legality, said Froc.

In the nations capital, anti-COVID restriction protesters have occupied the downtown core for almost two weeks, choking traffic in the downtown core, forcing many of the businesses there to close their doors and until a recent court injunction harassing the citys residents with near-constant horn-blowing.

There have also been reports of harassment of the staff of various businesses, of the desecration of war memorials and of protesters carrying flags with hate symbols, including swastikas.

Ottawa police have been roundly criticized for not being active enough at the beginning of the convoy; protesters got so thoroughly entrenched that police suggested that enforcement of the law is not possible.

The Emergency Measures Act in New Brunswick gives the province wide authority for emergency orders. If emergency measures are in place because of the pandemic, though, the question can be asked whether Section 34, which relates to protests, is closely enough linked to public health to warrant inclusion.

If the protest was about an unrelated subject matter, could these terms still be wedged into the emergency order as it stands now? Froc asked.

Froc said the other question is whether, given that Section 34 prohibits gathering in support of a blockade protest, or any kind of support of that protests, the restrictions are a proportionate response to the threat. The answer has implications not just for the weekend protest in Fredericton, but potentially for other, future protests.

Governments are allowed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to limit rights, but it always has to be in service of an important objective, said Froc. I think weve got that here. (In Ottawa), the evidence there was that the noise level was equivalent to someone running a lawn mower in an apartment. So theres the potential for harm.

But is it proportionate?

That might be difficult to demonstrate in the case of charging people of providing support to a protest, she said. If a person donated $5 to a protest, is it proportionate for them to be fined $3,000 to $10,000, as the order seems to imply?

I think a judge might have some difficulty with that, she said.

Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers said the concerns that the city has centre not around the anti-vaccine mandate protests, but the convoys that come with it, and the possible repetition of the problems caused by that convoy in Ottawa.

Fredericton police, in anticipation, have beefed up their numbers, calling upon nearby municipal police forces and the RCMP for resources. Rogers said shes been assured that demonstrators will be restricted to an area around the legislature, and the streets of downtown will be kept clear of the convoy.

Certainly everyones been following whats been taking place in Ottawa, said Rogers. Its been going on for a very long period of time, disrupting peoples day-to-day lives, the noise disruption, its impacted businesses, its impacted how people move around the city, which interferes with quality of life.

But it also interferes with public safety and with business. We dont want any of that in our city. Were doing everything in our power to keep that at bay.

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How one province is trying to squash a Freedom Convoy rally before it begins and why some ask whether its a step too far - Toronto Star

Raising concern about the increasing aggressiveness of China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said Quad grouping deserves the freedom to work together and associate with whom they choose to benefit people.

Australia is hosting India, Japan and the United States for the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in Melbourne on Friday and the top diplomats are seeking to bolster cooperation in areas including economy, security, COVID-19 pandemic and free and open Indo-Pacific.

Blinken made these remarks in the presence of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

"What's so striking to me as we get together is, that this is a group of countries brought together not by what we are against but what we are for. That quite simply is a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Blinken.

"People deserve to live freely, countries deserve to have the freedom to work together and associate with whom they choose. Together we can demonstrate that we are effective in bringing benefits to all of our people," US Secretary of State added.

Responding to a question on confrontation with China in Indo-Pacific, Blinken said that "nothing is inevitable".

"We share concerns in recent years, China has been acting more repressively, and more aggressively in the region, and, indeed, potentially, beyond. But, as I said, what brings us together what unites us is an affirmative vision for what the future can bring," Blinken said.

Talking about the Quad group's focus, Blinken said, "But also a commitment to defend the rules-based system that we have spent tremendous time and effort building over these many years, wherever it's vital, never it's challenged. So that's what we're focused on."

He further reiterated that "what brings us together is very much about the future that we're for that we're trying to build together."

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is a partnership of four nations, each of whom shares a commitment to openness, transparency and challenges coming out of the current global order.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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