Minister of information and culture Lai Mohammed has accused Twitter and the Canadian government of practising double standard in the handling of truckers protesting against COVID-19 restrictions in Canada.
Following warnings, police in Canada have begun clearing the protesters who blocked a bridge to the United States.
At a news briefing on Sunday in Abuja, Mohammed said although the Nigerian government was not gloating over the run of events in Canada, it is simply criticising the country for labelling the protesters as terrorists when it knocked the Nigerian government for clamping down on #EndSARS protesters in 2020.
“The Canadian protesters, who have blockaded roads and resorted to inconveniencing others, have been branded as terrorists or insurrectionists and subjected to a number of clampdowns by government and private organisations,” he said.
Mohammed noted that the crowdfunding company GoFundMe has shut down the campaign to raise funds for the truckers, after they raised over $10 million, adding that Twitter has suspended the truckers account while the Ontario government has frozen access to millions of dollars donated through online fundraising platform GiveSendGo to the protesters.
He continued, “Recall, gentlemen, that during the EndSARS protest, which culminated in the blockage of public roads and massive destruction of government and private property, Canada was one of the countries that spoke out in support of the protesters.
“Recall also that Twitter actively supported the EndSars protesters and even helped them to raise fund while GoFundMe was used to raise funds for the protests.”
According to Mohammed, these are the same entities “that are now rushing to distance themselves from the protesters in Canada and even denying them the use of their platforms.”
He also noted the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington DC and how the US is taking the fight to those involved.
“Don’t misunderstand this intervention. We are not gloating over the unfortunate development in Canada. But we are only calling attention to the double standards involved in the way protesters deemed to be violent are perceived in Nigeria and in the West.
“Those who referred to the hoodlums who destroyed public and private property in Nigeria under the guise of EndSARS as peaceful protesters have tagged similar protesters in their own countries as insurrectionists and terrorists. This glaring double standard should not be lost on all Nigerians,” he added.
