Organizers of a planned nationwide convoy this weekend protesting the culling of a flock of ostriches are disavowing violent supporters and insisting their protest will remain “peaceful” after attracting unwanted attention from police.
The planned ostrich convoy, which is set to take place in cities across Canada on November 22, bills itself as a grassroots “farmers’ protest” against the recent cull of 314 ostriches following an avian flu outbreak at a farm in Edgewood, British Columbia.
The outbreak led to a protracted legal battle between the ostrich farm’s owners and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that became a flashpoint for Canadian right-wing alternative media outlets and far-right influencers associated with the Freedom Convoy.
The battle ultimately attracted the attention of people inside Donald Trump’s White House, with former daytime-TV host turned MAGA medicare czar Dr. Oz offering the ostriches sanctuary at his farm in Florida.
The planned nationwide ostrich convoy originally spun out of a Facebook group created by Jim Kerr, a flamboyant convoy influencer best known for driving a psychedelic school bus called the “Church of Bubbles,” and a Dutch-born Gen Z social media marketer, Freek Schep, who runs a business importing maple syrup from New Brunswick to Utrecht.
Photos: Luke LeBrun (PressProgress); Freek Schep (Facebook)
In a series of Facebook livestream videos this week, Kerr, who calls himself “Poppa Bubbles” online, warned convoy supporters to beware of police, suggesting the federal government and RCMP are working together to suppress interest in the ostrich convoy.
“The government, through the RCMP, are trying to scare people not to come to the frigging thing,” Kerr said in one video to convoy supporters.
In another video, Kerr alleged police are threatening organizers of the ostrich convoy with traffic tickets and demerit points in a bid to “deter” them from participating, and claimed police were contacting his children as a kind of intimidation tactic because of the Facebook group he and Schep run.
Kerr, who claims the ostrich cull is linked to conspiratorial narratives about the World Health Organization and the United Nations’ “Agenda 2030,” repeatedly characterized the protests against the CFIA and federal government as a “war.” Although he acknowledged some supporters are “angry” and want to “take more drastic action,” Kerr explicitly disavowed supporters who are advocating “violent” actions against the government.
Other members of Kerr’s Facebook group appear to be spooked by a recent TikTok video posted by former Freedom Convoy leader Chris Barber warning them not to trust police.
“I’m seeing some posts out there about law enforcement reaching out to organizers for this latest ostrich protest,” Barber says. “Be very cautious and be very careful when you’re dealing with this, please.”
“They used text messages against me, they used everything possible to try and frame me in a bad light,” Barber continued, grumbling that police ultimately “threw me under the bus.”
Barber, along with fellow convoy leader Tamara Lich, were convicted on charges of mischief and counselling others to disobey a court order earlier this year in relation to the Freedom Convoy’s 2022 occupation of Ottawa.
In a statement to PressProgress, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police acknowledged they are “aware of the planned convoy protests across Canada in response to the culling of ostriches at a farm in BC.”
Provincial branches of the RCMP, including K Division in Alberta, also confirmed they have “been in contact with the convoy organizers.”
“This is a common practice to reach out when the event will be in your area,” an RCMP spokesperson told PressProgress. “Our goal is to ensure that any event such as this is lawful, peaceful and safe.”
Not all ostrich convoy organizers are equally worried about speaking with police, however.
Benita Pedersen, organizer of a planned ostrich convoy “slow roll” in Edmonton this weekend, boasted she too has “been in communication with both [the Edmonton Police Service] and RCMP.”
“I am serving as liaison between convoy organizers and law enforcement,” Pedersen told PressProgress. “I get along really well with law enforcement here.”
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and convoy organizer Benita Pedersen (Facebook)
Freek Schep, who previously organized an “Election Convoy” to pressure Justin Trudeau to call a snap election after proroguing parliament in January 2025 and was involved in the anti-LGBTQ+ “One Million March for Children,” said his Halifax-based group has also been in contact with police about the planned convoy.
“I have a liaison that I work with,” Schep told PressProgress. “They’re asking what’s going on, what’s the plan, what’s the route, how many people are attending?”
“Different organizers or team leads of different areas have been getting phone calls from RCMP, or RCMP showing up to their door requesting different information.”
Schep, a Dutch citizen who frequently travels back and forth between Nova Scotia and the Netherlands, says the ostrich convoy was inspired by the 2022 Dutch farmers’ protests. Schep notes he personally attended those protests and counts himself as a “big fan” of Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders, but denies any further involvement in Dutch politics.
Protest signs in the Farmers Protest Canada Facebook group (Facebook)
Unlike those protests, however, Schep says he would not condone ostrich convoy protesters blockading highways or “burning hay bales.” He notes the ostrich convoy’s website includes a “code of conduct” that makes clear “no violence, threats or harassment of any kind will be tolerated.” It also includes a “zero tolerance” policy for “racism” or “political division,” including “hate symbols” and “divisive rhetoric.”
That said, it’s unclear everyone who participates would be on the same page. Schep says he believes all of the organizers are “reliable,” though he concedes there are concerns about outside groups attaching themselves to the ostrich convoy protest.
“I mean, obviously, there’s going to be some groups that are not so trustworthy,” Schep said, referring to the wider freedom movement. During a Zoom call with local organizers this week, some expressed confusion about the true identities of those who run influential convoy-friendly Facebook accounts.
“We’re kinda hesitant about their groups, because we’re a very peaceful group and there are some groups that will come in and try to cause violence or make us look bad,” Schep said.
Farmers Protest Canada (Facebook)
Convoy leaders, including Kerr, say they plan to stage events targeting regional offices for Canada’s food inspection agency, though none can point to any specific rules or regulations they want the CFIA to change.
“I don’t know much about the regulations and those side of things,” Schep said, adding that the ostrich convoy is simply about raising “awareness” of the plight of farmers in Canada.
“They specifically want the politicians to listen to them and make sure they’re heard.”
Our journalism is powered by readers like you.
We’re an award-winning non-profit news organization that covers topics like social and economic inequality, big business and labour, and right-wing extremism.
Help us build so we can bring to light stories that don’t get the attention they deserve from Canada’s big corporate media outlets.