Canadians are upset. The first was a tariff threat and a reality. Now President Donald Trump’s speech on the forced annexation of Canada was no longer laughing as a joke – really pissed off a population well known for its politeness.
The relationship with Canada is at the top of the list of issues that Canada-US relations occupy residents, so they are rallying their nations and seeing a revival of nationalism, Reuters reported.
“Elbows Up” is a hockey term that conveys fight preparations, a new rallying cry decorated with clothing, headline rally and the title of a new podcast dedicated to the practicality of creating civil defense forces.
How long Trump’s tariffs will be, or what lies behind his desire to make Canada the 51st state in the United States, remains unknown. But Reuters, who peeped 11 Canadians, said they believe irrevocably damaged.
Canadians boycott US goods and cancel US travel plans. The sense of betrayal runs deep.
“It’s a mixture of concern, frustration, anger. Our longtime friends and allies opposed us, and we really don’t know what to do,” said Rally organizer Peter Wall.
Wall and a handful of other organizers put together a rally on Parliamentary Hill in Ottawa, Canada’s capital. The event featured a court check of speakers, bands and hockey sticks, which subsequently promoted the game, attracting over 1,000 people on March 9th.
More events are being planned in Toronto and elsewhere in the coming weeks.
The indication at the Ottawa rally criticized Trump as an imperialist, saying that he was “Elbow’s Up,” a lyric play from the Canadian national anthem, or “True North Strength and Peeping.” There was no shortage of Canadian flags.
Journalist Jordan Heath Roulings has led his frustration to a new podcast called Elbows Up, comparing Canada’s relationship with the US to the shock of his divorce.
“Everything in your life that you took for granted is suddenly gone. You need to redefine yourself as a person, and I think that’s where we are as a nation,” he said.
“I think a lot of Canadians are really hurt. I think a lot of Canadians are really angry. Certainly, I’ve been feeling myself like that.”
Comedian and actor Sean Majamder recently returned to Canada with his family after living in Los Angeles and performed at an “elbow-up” rally, so Canadians think they will look back at this time in 50 years and see it as an inflection point.
“Was it a change in maturity where we ultimately found our identity? And it’s not beaver, not mountains, not politeness – there’s something underneath it,” he said.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also used this term before Prime Minister Mark Carney was sworn in on March 14 in his farewell speech on March 9th.
“We are a nation where we fight when we can, but when we have to. Raise our elbows!”