Why you won't hear from organizers of Whitehorse's 'convoy' demonstrations

If you've been wondering who, exactly, has been organizing the now-weekly flag-waving, horn-honking "convoy" protests in Whitehorse well, you're not the only one.

Nobody seems to want to publicly claim ownership, or be named as a spokesperson forthe demonstrators.

"We are a non-partisan informal group of revolving volunteers with no spokesperson," is how Yukon Freedom describes itself in an email to CBC. The group's website publicizes weekly "freedom rallies" in Whitehorse, including the convoy-related events in recent weeks.

The website is also a jackpot of conspiracy theories and dubious science aboutmasks and vaccines, alongside informationaboutthe protests and demonstrations in Yukon and elsewhere.

The people, or person, behind Yukon Freedom are entirely anonymous. There are no names attached to the website, or phone numbers only an email address. The group has no Facebook page.

CBC's requests to speak directly to someone from Yukon Freedom were ignored. Instead, an emailed response described its positionagainst"unconstitutional mandates" and in support of peaceful protest.Questions from CBCwould only be accepted by email, "so that we can review and respond as a group."

Yukon Freedom is not to be confused with the Yukon Freedom Party, the territory's newestregistered party, led by former People's Party of Canada candidate Joseph Zelezny. The party told CBC that Zelezny has attended some of the Yukon demonstrations, but not as an organizer.

"As far as we can tell the events were organized and promoted by [Yukon Freedom] and while the name may be similar this is not part of the party," a Yukon Freedom Party spokesperson said in an email to CBC last month.

From 'freedom' rallies to convoys

The weekly Whitehorse "freedom" rallies began last year, typically with a small clutch of people gathered with signs at Shipyards Park on Saturday afternoons.

Then last month, as the "trucker convoy" made its way to Ottawa, the Whitehorse events morphed into a weekly tribute to that demonstration, with a line of honking vehicles (more pickup trucks than semis) driving a circuit around the city, waving signs and flags.

The line of vehicles has gotten smaller over the last couple of weeks, and Whitehorse has seen nothing comparable to the blockades or occupations happening elsewhere in the country.

But there have been reports of verbal aggression and intimidation against counter-protestors,who have similarly started gathering on weekends to hold up their own signs, in support of vaccines and public health.

"I think there's a lot of people whose nerves have worn thin and it doesn't take much to not be the best versions of ourselves," said Jonas Smith, when asked about such incidents.

Smith is a former Conservative Party candidate in Yukon who was dropped by his party on the eve of the last election because of his stance on vaccine mandates. Hehas since cultivated a public profile as an "outspoken advocate for medical choice."

Last month, he publicly urged Yukoners to join the weekend "convoy" rallies in Whitehorse to show support for ending vaccine mandates. In a Jan. 20 news release, he called the demonstrations "inspiring."

Promoting, not organizing

Speaking last week, on the same dayOntario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in that province in response to the convoy protestors there, Smith's enthusiasm had not waned.

"I think it's inspiring to see so many Yukoners from all backgrounds come together in showing support for the Canadian values of freedom and unity and calling for an end to the mandates," he said.

"I think it's just been fantastic, frankly."

So has Smith been helping to organize the Whitehorse events? Well, not according to him. He's simply been a "participant" in what he describes as "self-organizing and grassroots efforts."

Still, he acknowledges that people come to him to find out what's happening, because they know where he stands on the issue.

"I mean, I'd deactivated all my social media platforms a few months ago after, you know, I abandoned my political aspirations. So people call or email or text me screen captures of things that they've seen on social media, and all I do is pass them on."

Asked about his Jan. 20 news release urging Yukoners to join the convoy protests, he says that's not really organizing.

"I would qualify that as 'promoting,'" he said.

'I get asked this all the time'

Ross Mercer, who runs Mercer Contracting in Whitehorse, has been a regular participant in the local weekend convoys and he's spoken to CBC several times about his involvement. Many other participants at those events have declined interviews.

Mercer is similarly vague about how the convoy protests are organized.

"I get asked this all the time. I have not made any flyers or anything like that. I tend to receive things via social media about the convoys, in bits and pieces. There's some chat groups my name is on," he says.

"I honestly typically just ask Jonas if he knows, and typically he knows what's going on."

The lack of any apparent organization or spokesperson makes it tough for local media trying to cover the protests, and not just the CBC.

A challenge to report

Jim Butler, longtime editor of the Whitehorse Star newspaper, says his paper tries to "play it straight down the middle" when it comes to demonstrations, but the convoy events have been a challenge. Not least because it can be intimidating for reporters to approach people who are sometimes openly hostile to media, he says.

"Compared to protests over the decades I've seen, I'm finding that it's difficult to pin some of these folks down," he said.

"The other thing is, when you can approach these people, there doesn't seem to be any chief spokesperson the placards do most of the talking."

Butler describes the "snide" emails he's received when people feel his paper has given too much prominence, or not enough, to one side or the other with a front-page photo, for example. He says often those people don't want their comments or their names printed..

"So many people do not want their names attached to their views, on either side," he said.

"It's really hard to satisfy these people when you get such emotion and such hard-core values, and what many people perceive are affronts to their values at stake here."

A new normal?

There's always some element of caution about speaking out to the media in what's essentially a small town, Butler says. He's often seen someone say something "inflammatory" at a public meeting and then balk when a reporter asks for their name.

But these protests around vaccine mandates seem different, he says.

"I think we're all feeling our way here," he said.

Jonas Smith, though, doesn't see anything too new in the anonymity of protest organizers. It's just another grassroots movement, he argues, borne of frustration. He refers to the protests as "peaceful," but then says "non-violent" might be a better descriptor.

He hopes they continue until all public health restrictions are lifted.

"You look at many of the things that happened, particularly in the United States for the last couple of years, there is no obvious leader of some of these movements. Again, they just happen," he said.

"And I think that's a reflection of the way things are, just in the political discourse these days."