Those who watch the evening news and read up on the daily happenings in the vast Canadian landscape have no doubt seen the headlines surrounding events that are being held in locations across the country by the “yellow vests”, a growing group of Canadians who have held rallies and protests aimed at taking the federal government to task over a number of issues, holding them accountable to the people who they’re elected to serve.
There are different names for the group – some have the word ‘rebellion’ in their material – but most simply call it the Yellow Vest Movement.
Canada adopted the movement from France at the tail end of 2018.
The news surrounding these rally and protest events has made for one of the most gripping and divisive stories to be told in our country in some time, as there are clashing viewpoints on how the movement has gone about spreading their message.
Now, another chapter of the story will be told in Outlook.
This newspaper has learned that this coming Saturday, January 26, a Yellow Vest Protest Rally will be held in Outlook at the town offices building starting at 12:00 pm.
Speaking with this reporter, organizer Boyd Gilchrist said the event will help to inform people of what the Yellow Vest Movement is all about, and hopefully help to dispel the notion that the movement is all about the extremism of fringe groups that has been seen in the Canadian media, some of which has hurt the group’s credibility in some circles.
“We’ve had misrepresentation in the media, and in our eyes, we’re really just about respecting one another,” said Gilchrist. “All nationalities are welcome, but we just can’t have illegal immigration. We also feel that in this country, we’re not taking care of our veterans and our homeless, and that just isn’t right. We’re being undermined by the government, but our laws can’t be undermined. It’s really all about unity and equality; it’s not about racism at all and we’re all about respect and sovereignty of our country.”
The Yellow Vest Movement describes itself as a peaceful group with the goal of informing everyday Canadians about the issues facing our country. Although recent headlines have pointed toward extreme measures and harsh language by some types within, the movement’s official information says they do not condone, encourage or tolerate any type of violence.
Some of the key issues that the protest movement is all about include:
Anti-Tax – “We oppose over-taxation laws and policies, including the proposed carbon tax.”
Sovereignty – “We advocate for maintaining the people of Canada’s complete sovereignty over Canada’s borders and lands within, and call for the immediate withdrawal from the UN Global Compact for Migration.”
Immigration – “We call for an immediate end to illegal and irregular immigration, while promoting legal immigration in amounts that allow for successful integration into Canada’s multicultural society and economy.”
Free Speech – “We advocate free speech and oppose any censorship laws and measures.”
Energy – “We advocate a complete self-sufficiency, including pipelines, opposing the import of oil from foreign states and the eventual greening of the energy supply and use.”
Reform – “A complete reform of the Canadian Federal political system, including the electoral system and equalization payments.”
Gilchrist says the rally event in Outlook will help inform people of these issues and the Yellow Vest Movement’s take on government accountability, and that they want to move away from the damaging and what they call misleading reports that at times have painted the group as hate-mongers, or even racists in some instances. What they hope is for people to come out and listen to their message and form their own views and opinions as it relates to the movement.
Organizers say everyone is welcome at the rally.
