The above video records the first half of a speech that Iranian refugee Salman Sima delivered from the stage midway through the 3-week protest.
Immigrants and their children were almost certainly over-represented in Ottawa - amongst the truckers, but also amongst their supporters. This makes perfect sense. Those who’ve fled oppression, who know how it crushes people, are more attuned to the warning signs. They know what they’re looking at. They clue in faster than the rest of us.
During his remarks, transcribed below, Salman draws attention to the fact that people who were OK with governments shutting down society for two years were nevertheless outraged by a two-week protest. This is hardly the recipe for a harmonious society.
Here’s Salman in his own words:
I am lucky that I could escape from dictatorship in Iran. And I am proud to be here between many, many thousand freedom-loving Canadians. Guys, I am proud of you.
I told to my friend, Daniel: ‘Maybe I don’t know the value of freedom more than you, but I can assure you I know tyranny more than you.’
I tasted it. I lived with that. I came here as a refugee. And I lost my freedom in my beloved Iran by the dictatorship, by the Mullahs, by the Ayatollah. I don’t want to lose my freedom again, here.
Some people, some people are complaining about honking. These are not honking. These are the voice of freedom!
For two years, they violated our freedom. Our civil liberty. They are complaining [about] dancing just for two weeks. Really?
Mr. Doug Ford, Mr. Trudeau [you said to the convoy] ‘Let the people go back to their lives.’ This is something that we want, too.
Be careful, please. The Islamic regime, in 2019, in just three days they killed more than 3,000 freedom loving, my fellow Iranians.
I don’t equate Justin Trudeau with the Islamic regime in Iran. I don’t equate that. But I can say that, if in Iran we are at the end of the road of oppression and dictatorship. And here in Canada, if we don’t stand up today, Justin Trudeau is warming the car.
Wake up. We need to stand for freedom now. Tomorrow is [too] late! Freedom!
Watch the 2nd half of Salman’s speech here.
Read yesterday’s post about Salman here.