Did I Do Anything Criminally Wrong?
'No, I laid on the ground.'
Part 1: Nothing Made Sense
Prior to the Freedom Convoy, "I was never involved in politics,” says Clayton. “I never got that deep or cared. I'd never been to a protest in my life until I went to Ottawa. Now I don't stop."
When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Hamilton, Ontario in January 2023, Clayton was amongst the noisy protesters in the streets. During the Freedom Convoy, it was a Canadian flag streaming off the back of his pickup. These days he's the proud owner of what may be the largest F-Trudeau flag in the country, measuring 6-feet by 10-feet (1.8 x 3 meters). "I've actively put this flag in his face. I know he's seen it a few times."
You don't experience everything Clayton has - three weeks of fuel smuggling, the establishment of life-altering relationships, abuse in police custody, the vandalizing of your property, four ongoing criminal charges - and remain the same person.
He knows firsthand what it's like to be the underdog - smeared by the media, despised by the authorities. During those weeks in Ottawa he was well aware that the livestreams of people such as himself on social media were competing with
the millions of dollars that produce the news. That was our biggest uphill battle. We didn't have the special sound effects and the high dollar cameras. We just had your regular Canadian out there with his cell phone going, 'No, that's not what's happening.'
After things were all over, he says
it took me three, four months before I could watch a movie or a TV show, even play a video game. I'd turn it on and I'd just blank stare. I couldn't do it. I spent hours just sitting there, not trusting what was going to come on that TV. Why am I allowed to watch this? What is this distracting me from? What's the real message? It took me a while.
For the crime of engaging in peaceful civil disobedience the Canadian justice system insisted Clayton should do jail time. In his words,
It started out, they wanted six months in jail. Then they were seeking two months in jail. Then they did the pretrial, and the crown was going hard at house arrest.
The judge said no to that. And then it turned out if I would've pled guilty to one mischief charge, I’d get 12 months probation and then a conditional discharge. So I wouldn't have a criminal record.
Did I do anything criminally wrong? No, I laid on the ground.
Clayton's activism has been costly, in numerous ways. His refusal to accept the plea deal means his legal problems - and legal bills - remain. But wherever there's darkness, there's also light.
"We had a barbecue for a friend," he says. Someone's dad "wanted to thank me for doing my part in Ottawa." During their chat, the conversation turned to the ice road trucking that goes on in northern Canada. Later, this man put Clayton in touch with the appropriate people, and soon he had a job during two months of the year in which his junk removal business slows to a crawl.
I'll publish a bit about the ice road gig tomorrow. Not because it's connected to the Freedom Convoy, but because it's cool, there’s some splendid photos, and Clayton is supremely articulate :-)
click here: Ice Roads, Ravens & Northern Lights