Anti-Vax Mandate Truckers Harassed Soup Kitchen. Donations Poured In

Police say they are investigating allegedly 'illegal' acts by truckers
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 1, 2022 12:58 AM CST
Updated Feb 1, 2022 5:51 AM CST
Canada Truckers Harassed Ottawa Soup Kitchen. Donations Poured In
A man who removed the tires from his pickup truck stands in front of West Block on Parliament Hill as a rally against COVID-19 restrictions, which began as a cross-country convoy protesting a federal vaccine mandate for truckers, continues in Ottawa, Canada, Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.   (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP)

Some of the drivers from the convoy of anti-vaccination mandate truckers that descended on Ottawa to protest COVID-19 measures allegedly harassed a soup kitchen in the Canadian capital—but donations have been pouring in ever since the bad behavior made headlines. The Shepherds of Good Hope shelter said on Sunday that "the incessant honking and noise from trucks, caused significant anxiety and distress to our staff and shelters residents," CNN reports. The nonprofit said that on Saturday, truckers had come in demanding free food, some of them aggressively, and that verbal altercations between truckers and shelter staff went on for hours. During the tumult, a homeless man who tried to open a truck door was assaulted by drivers, the shelter says.

Since speaking out, the nonprofit has received more than 10,000 donations, it says. Some of the money will be used to reimburse shelter staff for taxi or rideshare service, since the truck convoy has also made it difficult for them to drive to work. Yahoo News rounds up appalled reactions to the convoy, including one person who tweeted, "I have worked on Parliament Hill for 12 of the last 21 years. I have seen many protests, even participated in some. I have never seen a swastika there. I have never seen such a display of hate. Until today." Police say several criminal probes into "threatening" and "illegal" acts are underway, including the alleged desecration of monuments including the National War Memorial, the Washington Post reports. (More Canada stories.)

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