Anti-vaccine protest in Canada spurs outrage
Toronto, Feb 1: In a scene at odds with Canadians' reputation for niceness and rule-following, thousands of protesters railing against vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions descended on the capital over the weekend, deliberately blocking traffic around Parliament Hill.
Some urinated and parked on the National War Memorial. One danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A number carried signs and flags with swastikas.
In the aftermath of Canada's biggest pandemic protest to date, the demonstrators have found little sympathy in a country where more than 80% are vaccinated. Many people were outraged by some of the crude behaviour.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the Ottawa protesters a "fringe minority" and said they reflected the proliferation of disinformation and misinformation online, conspiracy theorists, about microchips, about God knows what else that go with the tinfoil hats .
Organisers, including one who has espoused white supremacist views, had raised millions for the cross-country freedom truck convoy against vaccine mandates. It attracted support from former US President Donald Trump and Tesla billionaire Elon Musk.
Trudeau and his family were moved to an undisclosed location over during the protest. (Two of his children tested positive for COVID-19, and a test Monday revealed he, too, was infected. He said he is fine and working remotely.)
A smaller but still significant number of protesters remained on the streets on Tuesday.
You had your 15 minutes. Time to move on and give back our city to our residents, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said.
Those who stayed said they won't leave until all vaccine mandates and other restrictions are gone. They are calling for the removal of Trudeau's government, though it is responsible for few of the measures, most of which were put in place by provincial governments.
Protester Michelle Kloet, 47, of Canmore, Alberta, tried to clean up some of the mess left behind, picking up empty liquor bottles and beer cans. She said she was there because it's time for Canada and the rest of the world to find other ways to deal with this virus .
During the demonstration, the statue of Terry Fox, a national hero who lost a leg to bone cancer as a youngster and set off in 1980 on a fundraising trek across Canada, was draped with an upside-down Canadian flag and a sign that read "Mandate freedom .
My kids were shocked. Like all Canadian young people, they have grown up with Terry Fox as a hero, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. This is not the Canada who we want to be. And I really proudly believe, and I know, this is not what Canada is.
Conservative Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was extremely disturbed to see people desecrate our most sacred monuments and wave swastikas and other symbols of hate and intolerance".
The outburst was seen as so out of character for Canada that one US scientist felt compelled to apologise for what he portrayed as America's influence.
Canada gave us kindness, tolerance, poutine and hockey, and in turn we exported this awful fake health freedom movement linked to far right extremism that caused so much senseless loss of life in America and now might do the same there, tweeted Dr Peter Hotez, an infectious-disease specialist at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. Our apologies.
Many of the demonstrators refused to wear masks in hotels, malls and grocery stores. One homeless shelter reported protesters had demanded it feed them.
Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said several investigations are underway and a tip line for hate crimes, threats and assaults related to the demonstration has been set up. Sloly said one person had been arrested in connection with the protest.
Tim Abray, a PhD candidate, said he was assaulted by so-called freedom fighters while taking pictures of the protest in his neighbourhood.
The most visible contingent of protesters were truckers who parked their big rigs on Parliament Hill, though they were a minority of the thousands who turned out.
Some of the truckers were protesting a rule that took effect Jan 15 requiring those entering Canada to be fully immunised against the coronavirus. The US has imposed the same requirement on incoming truck drivers, so it would make little difference if Canada lifted its rule.
Some opposition Conservative lawmakers attended the protest, and Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole, who is facing a revolt among his lawmakers, met with some of the truckers.
Phil Haggart, a counter-protester, said he was there to show that there are voices in favour of public health measures.
Masks are important, vaccines are important, and mandates are important only because we need them to stay alive and not fill our hospitals up, he said.
A surge of the highly contagious omicron variant has led to record cases and lockdowns in Ontario and Quebec, Canada's most populous provinces. But restaurants reopened Monday with 50% capacity, and vaccine mandates imposed by the provincial governments remain in place.
Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, said the misinformation rabbit hole in Canada is not as deep as it is in the US for many reasons, including less political polarisation north of the border.
This leads to much less sympathy for or tolerance of the unvaccinated among Canadians. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis could not get very far in Canada. A Donald Trump would be shunned, even in Conservative Party circles, Wiseman said.
The protesters in Ottawa have not aided their cause as the demonstration drags on, he added.
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'Homebound' makes it to Oscar shortlist for best international feature
Mumbai (PTI): Neeraj Ghaywan's much acclaimed "Homebound" is among the 15 films shortlisted in the best international feature category at the Oscars, moving a step close to the final five nominations and maybe a win.
The movie, inspired by a true story that became the basis of a news article during the pandemic, has been creating a global buzz since its debut in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival this May.
Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese is a fan and has come onboard as an executive producer ahead of the award season.
Produced by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla, and starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, "Homebound" is Ghaywan's second movie after "Masaan".
"Homebound" will compete for an Oscar nomination alongside Argentina's “Belén”, Brazil's “The Secret Agent”, French drama "It Was Just an Accident”, Germany's "Sound of Falling” and Iraq's "The President's Cake".
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The other movies in the shortlist include Japan's “Kokuho”, Jordan's “All That’s Left of You”, Norway's “Sentimental Value”, Palestine's “Palestine 36”, South Korean hit “No Other Choice”, Spain's “Sirat”, "Late Shift" from Switzerland, “Left-Handed Girl”from Taiwan and Tunisian drama “The Voice of Hind Rajab”, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in a release on Tuesday.
The award for best foreign film, now re-categorised as best international feature, has so far eluded India.
Only three Indian films have received nominations in the category -- Mehmood Khan’s “Mother India”, Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay” and Ashutosh Gowarikar’s “Lagaan”. Deepa Mehta’s “Water”, starring John Abraham and Lisa Ray, also received a nomination but it was submitted from Canada.
Gujarati film "Chhello Show" in 2023 was the last film to get shortlisted.
Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya was the first Indian to get an Oscar, bagging the coveted prize in 1983 for the film "Gandhi". Other than her, A R Rahman, Resul Pukootty and M M Keeravani have also won individual Oscars.
Team "Homebound" celebrated the shortlist news with posts on social media.
"We made the shortlist... Way to go team Homebound'!" Johar shared in Instagram Stories.
In a post, the producer said it was difficult for him to articulate how "proud and elated" he was with the news.
"All of us @dharmamovies are privileged to have this proud and important film in our filmography... thank you @neeraj.ghaywan for making so many dreams of ours come true... from Cannes to being on the Oscar shortlist this has been such an overwhelming journey! Love to the entire cast and crew and teams of this special special film! Upwards and onwards...."
Ghaywan also shared the news on X.
"#Homebound has been shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards! We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary love and support we've received from around the world," he wrote on X with a special poster of the film.
Jethwa, who plays one of the two friends in the story opposite Ishaan Khatter, said the moment feels "surreal and incredibly humbling".
"To see 'Homebound' being shortlisted and progressing towards the Oscars is something I could have only dreamed of. I am deeply grateful for the love and support the film has received from audiences around the world," he said as he acknowledged Johar, Ghaywan and co-star Khatter and the rest of the team.
Khatter also shared the news on his Instagram stories and wrote, "Oscar ab dur nahi".
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"Homebound" is inspired by journalist Basharat Peer's The New York Times article “Taking Amrit Home”, also titled "A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway".
The film portrays the childhood friendship between a Muslim and Dalit who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they have long been denied due to their surnames.
The Academy on Tuesday also announced shortlists in 11 other categories, including the newly added casting Oscars, animated shorts, cinematography, documentary feature, documentary short, original score and song, sound and visual effects categories.
Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Twenty-four categories will be awarded at the 98th Oscars. Each category has five nominees, except for best picture, which has 10.
The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
