The Illegal Occupation

 

It annoys me to so regularly hear the protest in Ottawa called an “illegal occupation”; and it annoys me that this is so rarely challenged.

This is not an occupation. It is a peaceful, and as I understand it, therefore legal, protest.

Merriam-Webster defines occupation as:

a: the act or process of taking possession of a place or area : SEIZURE

“Spain's occupation of the island.”

b: the holding and control of an area by a foreign military force

“the Roman occupation of Britain”

c: the military force occupying a country or the policies carried out by it

“The occupation addressed the concerns of the local population.”

None of these apply. The truckers are not claiming possession of Wellington Street. They are merely parking there.

They are ordinary Canadians, not a foreign military force. It is their capital.

Oxford defines occupation as:

2. The action, state, or period of occupying or being occupied by military force.

“The Roman occupation of Britain”

2.1The action of entering and taking control of a building.

“the workers remained in occupation until October 16”

The truckers are occupying no buildings. They are parking in the public street, and anyone else is free to come and go. This includes traffic—the truckers have left one lane open. Acccordingly, there is also no “blockade.”

If there is anything illegal here, it is only a parking violation.

And the government is declaring a national emergency and taking on dictatorial powers to deal with parking violations? And threatening years in prison and seizure of assets?

If you catch one side in a dispute lying, and lying consistently, it is proof they are in the wrong. If you believe truth favours your side, you will insist on it.

The government has been lying about the protests with consistency.