Hacker News Reader

Comment by smnrchrds | Hacker News Reader

> there is no violence, and no obvious danger

A number of illegal weapons, high capacity magazines, and a large quantity of ammunition were seized in a blockade in Alberta. I would not be surprised if there are people with weapons in Ottawa as well, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

https://globalnews.ca/news/8618494/alberta-coutts-border-pro...

View on HN

> A number of illegal weapons...were seized in a blockade in Alberta.

> https://globalnews.ca/news/8618494/alberta-coutts-border-pro...

Your link doesn't describe anything as "illegal weapons." It just says "long guns" and "handguns" which are both pretty broad terms that undoubtedly encompass guns that are legal in Canada.

Handguns require a license to transport (ATT). Even if they were acquired legally (and that's a very big if because of RPAL), their presence at the border is very illegal.

By definition a handgun not in storage or in transport to a shooting range is an illegal weapon in Canada.

Most hand guns are prohibited[0] weapons in Canada. You need explicit authorization to transport [2] prohibited weapons. There are pretty strict rules[3] for how they're to be transported, too. You're not just allowed to drive around with handguns rattling around in the car, this isn't the US. Large capacity magazines are illegal in almost all cases [1]. Even that machete might be illegal given the context [4].

[0] https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/firearms/classes-firearms

[1] https://www.grc-rcmp.gc.ca/en/firearms/maximum-permitted-mag...

[2] https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/firearms/authorization-transpo...

[3] https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/firearms/storing-transporting-...

[4] https://cubetoronto.com/canada/are-machetes-illegal-in-canad...

A machete may be considered a weapon in certain contexts, but that's not a unique law. The US also reclassifies things as weapons once they are used as weapons (in that instance.) Attack someone with a machete and it suddenly becomes a deadly weapon.

Canada bans a lot of weapons for looking "scary" -- nunchuks and butterfly knives for example (both of which are rather notoriously more dangerous to the person wielding them than anybody else). Americans who come to Canada are frequently surprised by the different laws up here. Yes, an attack with a machete renders it illegal in both countries. A concealed machete is illegal in Canada, regardless of intent or use. I'm not so sure about the US (especially with the variance among state laws)

A lot of states ban nunchucks (sometimes as "ninja weapons") and butterfly knives. It's highly variable throughout the US.

Surprisingly, despite "a willingness to use them against police", they didn't use them against police, so it's likelier than not that the story is made up or mischaracterized.

A lot of people will say they are willing to do something.

But when their life is on the line they suddenly capitulate.

These are the people of the truck convoy who protest: https://twitter.com/MichaelPSenger/status/149273926633759539...

Does it look like they are all packing and waiting to strike?

The tweet is deleted. Regardless, I am sure not "all" protesters are looking for violence, but the ones who brought weapons and ammo certainly did. And I am sure not all of them have been found and arrested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hISPJ5xuedM

What a convenient thing to happen on the very same day he is expected to announce the taking away of civil liberties of Canadians, and give themselves the right to seize property and equipment.

Painting with broad strokes is dangerous.

When asking if anyone in the protest had firearms, a journalist was ejected from a news conference. Would have been a good opportunity to disavow violence, but here we are. In this case, it's not so much painting with broad strokes as much as judging by the company they keep.

Source: https://twitter.com/alexboutilier/status/1493319507846176769...

"How dare you use my words and actions against me!"

Reply on news.ycombinator.com