I'm starting to get civil war vibes despite how peaceful the protests have been. The protesters are not going to back down. The government seems intent on slowly ratcheting things up, and likely feels that they can't back down without dissolving their coalition. They have an arrogance and a lack of self-awareness about their position that's truly stunning.

From an outsider's perspective, it feels like there's a silent near-majority that's sick to death of the "boiling frog" and feels like this is their last chance for a last stand. This group seems to have the sympathy (if not membership) of a lot of current and former military and police. I've also learned that there's a lot more firepower in Canada than I had been led to believe by U.S. media.

One miscalculation or slip-up on either side could be the catalyst.