A convoy of western Canadians travelling across the country to bring their message of support for the energy industry to the federal government arrived in Ottawa on Tuesday for a rally at Parliament Hill.
Last Thursday, over 100 vehicles left Red Deer for Ottawa as part of the United We Roll convoy to attend a mass protest against federal energy and environmental policies.
The group is asking for the carbon tax to be repealed or at least revisited and is opposed to Bill C48 - Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, Bill C69 - enacting the Impact Assessment Act, and the UN migration pact.
They are also calling on the government to take immediate action to build pipelines.
"The core message is we need immediate action for our pipelines to get in the ground, to get to tidewater and to the rest of Canada," said lead organizer Glen Carritt.
The convoy left Arnprior, Ontario early Tuesday morning and about 200 vehicles rolled onto Parliament Hill for a rally at 11:00 a.m. EST.
Speakers at the rally included People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier.
Protesters critical of the federal government’s response in Indigenous communities have also joined in and counter-protests have sprung up with some of them carrying signs that read, “No pipelines, no fascists on Indigenous lands.”
The City of Ottawa tweeted to motorists to expect delays if heading into the downtown area because of the rally.
Some streets were closed down for the demonstration and police officers were called in to direct traffic.
United We Roll! Convoy For Canada! has established a GoFundMe account to collect funds for supplies, gas and accommodations and so far has generated almost $130,000.
(With files from The Canadian Press)
