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The Freedom Convoy Reeks of Petro-Masculinity
The freedom convoy
The ‘freedom convoy’ arrived in Ottawa approximately three weeks ago, alerting Canadians of the real threat of far-right groups in Canada as well as the degree of US involvement in Canadian politics. By now, it is no secret that these and other anti-public-health-measures groups like the Maverick Party have been behind much of the movement’s organization and crowdfunding; and that these groups have managed to recruit not only individual supporters, but also “evangelical churches, private trucker associations, and far-right outlets like Rebel News, all of whom are fueling the movement.”
The Ottawa siege has been particularly revealing of the political imaginaries and underlying logics of the freedom convoy. Since its arrival in the city, important roads and urban spaces have been flooded by large vehicles and supporters openly spousing homophobic and white supremacist views (e.g., Nazi swastika flags, hateful vitriol, signage, etc.) while harassing nearby residents and workers.
This was more or less expected, however. As Evan Balgord, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, observes, the movement has always been “inextricably tied to Canadian far-right groups, including members of radical, neo-Nazi-linked ‘accelerationist’ networks, Holocaust deniers and supporters of the white nationalist Great Replacement theory.” Also noteworthy is the fact “that the convoy began its journey to Ottawa on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. And that the occupation began in earnest on the fifth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack, where an anti-Islam shooter murdered six men and left others seriously injured.”
Petro-masculinity
Although it may be true that the movement and its ties to far-right groups may be an expression of what the American sociologist Michael Kimmel refers to as ‘aggrieved entitlement’, “a perception that the benefits and/or status you believe yourself entitled to have been wrongfully taken away from you by unforeseen forces”, this concept alone does not properly address the specific rhetoric and imaginaries of the movement…
