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Hundreds protest outside N.L. legislature in support of convoy

Hundreds gathered outside Newfoundland and Labrador's seat of government Saturday in support of the convoy calling for an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Protest remained peaceful outside Confederation Building

Hundreds of people protest outside Confederation Building in St. John's on Saturday in support of the convoy descending on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (Paul Pickett/CBC)

Protesters gathered outside Newfoundland and Labrador's seat of government Saturday in support of a convoy calling for an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Hundreds of people rallied outside Confederation Building in St. John's for what organizers called a freedom rally.

Some held signs supporting truckers and protesting vaccine mandates, while others waved Canadian flags.

Protesters gathered in St. John's hold signs in solidarity with the convoy arriving in Ottawa on Saturday. (Paul Pickett/CBC)

There was a police presence at the protest, but the event remained peaceful.

Vehicles drove down Prince Philip Drive in St. John's as the protest ended, blowing their horns and waving flags.

Posts on social media Saturday also show dozens of vehicles gathered outside the Corner Brook Civic Centre, and a small convoy of vehicles in St-Pierre-Miquelon. 

The events coincide with the convoy of thousands of truckers and other protesters descending on Parliament Hill.

The demonstration, which was originally planned to urge the federal government to drop its vaccine mandate for cross-border essential workers like truckers, has morphed into a larger, cross-country movement against most public health measures.

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador