Calgary - A forensic anthropology scholar suggested looking west to find the heart of the protests and blockades that have swept across the country for more than a month.

Alberta appears to have been the epicenter of the unrest that began with truck drivers due to cross-border vaccine mandates, but it quickly attracted other groups with their own agendas. The most prominent were demands to lift all public health epidemic measures, complaints against the federal Liberal government, and mobilization of freedom slogans.

Two people have been arrested for leading the noisy three-week confrontation in downtown Ottawa. The third is from Saskatchewan.

It appears that 13 people with alleged violent motives face serious charges related to the southern Alberta border blockade in Coutts. Four are charged with conspiring to kill Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that another convoy heading to Ottawa set off from northern Alberta but was turned back at the Manitoba-Ontario border in recent days.

Kathy Browse, a forensic anthropologist and a veteran of the Calgary police, said Alberta’s economy and way of life were severely harmed by the coronavirus, which created a source of opposition.

"We had a problem getting oil to market," Browse said. "We had farmers who did not have enough feed for their cattle." "The displacement was great here. It is worse than any part of the country."

Browse added that there are other pockets in Canada, like Quebec, experiencing similar inflation of discontent.

She said there are three camps involved in what participants call "freedom convoys."

She completed that the least harmed are those who see freedom as a right to choose vaccination and bypass restrictions based on creed or personal beliefs. The second group, often labeled as extremists, seeks liberation from government and the rule of law.

Perhaps the most dangerous are those who experienced social isolation during the pandemic and connect with others through participation in protests.

"There are some who will crave this belonging," she said. "They want more."

"There is always the possibility of more extremist groups spreading."

A review of donations made through the crowdfunding site supporting the convoys shows some of the most common words used by donors were "freedom," "God," and "tyranny."

On the other hand, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the arrests in the Alberta border protest speak to a bigger problem in Canada. He said some people who were in Coutts have strong links to a right-wing extremist organization that came out of Ottawa, although he did not name it.

Emily Laidlaw, Canadian research chair in cybersecurity law, said the demonstrations showed the slow burn that was ignited on social media through misinformation— which can be partially true—and disinformation, which is more deliberately natured."

Laidlaw said, "It veers into an area that has such a broad impact." "This is when you lose control of it and ... see movements like this."

She gave as an example a video circulating online showing a police officer giving an incorrect interpretation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which people see as fact.

Several videos and pictures from the protests on social media contradicted each other. Some show peaceful demonstrations, while others reveal criminal behavior or hateful symbols, including the Nazi swastika and the Confederate flag claimed by extremist groups.

In the same context, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police raid in Coutts seized long guns, pistols, a sickle, a large amount of ammunition, and body armor. Two tactical vests seized bore patches related to a new fascist movement and another potential hate group.

Laidlaw said, "What we are seeing now is the undermining of trust in institutions we usually turn to for information, and therefore, there is no longer a sense of what is true."

Social media pages bearing the same names as many of the accused in Coutts shared conspiracy theories, complaints against the government, and misinformation about COVID-19.

From a legal perspective, Laidlaw said Canada relies entirely on self-regulation by social media platforms. But despite efforts, this kind of information continues to spread.

Editing: Dima Abu Khair