Why you won't hear from organizers of Whitehorse's 'convoy' demonstrations

If you've been wondering who, exactly, has been organizing the now-weekly flag-waving, horn-honking "convoy" protests in Whitehorse — well, you're not the only one.

Nobody seems to want to publicly claim ownership, or be named as a spokesperson for the demonstrators.

"We are a non-partisan informal group of revolving volunteers with no spokesperson," is how Yukon Freedom describes itself in an email to CBC. The group's website publicizes weekly "freedom rallies" in Whitehorse, including the convoy-related events in recent weeks.

The website is also a jackpot of conspiracy theories and dubious science about masks and vaccines, alongside information about the protests and demonstrations in Yukon and elsewhere. 

The people, or person, behind Yukon Freedom are entirely anonymous. There are no names attached to the website, or phone numbers — only an email address. The group has no Facebook page.

CBC's requests to speak directly to someone from Yukon Freedom were ignored. Instead, an emailed response described its position against "unconstitutional mandates" and in support of peaceful protest. Questions from CBC would only be accepted by email, "so that we can review and respond as a group." 

Yukon Freedom is not to be confused with the Yukon Freedom Party, the territory's newest registered party, led by former People's Party of Canada candidate Joseph Zelezny. The party told CBC that Zelezny has attended some of the Yukon demonstrations, but not as an organizer.

"As far as we can tell the events were organized and promoted by [Yukon Freedom] and while the name may be similar this is not part of the party," a Yukon Freedom Party spokesperson said in an email to CBC last month.

The weekly Whitehorse "freedom" rallies began last year, typically with a small clutch of people gathered with signs at Shipyards Park on Saturday afternoons.

Then last month, as the "trucker convoy" made its way to Ottawa, the Whitehorse events morphed into a weekly tribute to that demonstration, with a line of honking vehicles (more pickup trucks than semis) driving a circuit around the city, waving signs and flags.

The line of vehicles has gotten smaller over the last couple of weeks, and Whitehorse has seen nothing comparable to the blockades or occupations happening elsewhere in the country.

But there have been reports of verbal aggression and intimidation against counter-protestors, who have similarly started gathering on weekends to hold up their own signs, in support of vaccines and public health. 

"I think there's a lot of people whose nerves have worn thin and it doesn't take much to not be the best versions of ourselves," said Jonas Smith, when asked about such incidents.

Smith is a former Conservative Party candidate in Yukon who was dropped by his party on the eve of the last election because of his stance on vaccine mandates. He has since cultivated a public profile as an "outspoken advocate for medical choice."