Lee Bertiaume and Sarah Ritchie, Canadian Press Published Thursday, April 28, 2022, 12:32 PM EDT Last Updated on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 2:38 PM EDT
The interim police chief in Ottawa warns that the city will not tolerate any long-term occupation of the capital, as hundreds of motorcyclists are preparing to disembark in the city from Friday.
During a briefing Thursday, interim chief Steve Bell told reporters that organizers of the Rolling Thunder convoy had said they planned to leave the capital by Sunday. If they do not, he added, his staff is ready to act.
“We were really clear: we will not tolerate any illegal activity that shows any long-term occupation of any part of our city,” Bell said. “We will be very responsive and very proactive in identifying and dismantling all kinds (of camps).”
The warning came as Ottawa police and residents, many still rocked by a “convoy of freedom” that occupied the city center for more than three weeks in February, prepared for a new round of riots and protests.
The Rolling Thunder was not clear about the cause they were gathering for, except to say they would be in Ottawa to “celebrate our freedom peacefully.” However, the organization has partnered with several groups, apparently linked to the Freedom Convoy.
This occupation disrupted traffic, forced businesses to close and provoked complaints of intimidation, harassment and hateful behavior. Police chief Peter has resigned after many residents have criticized police that she had not taken a harder position with protesters.
The demonstration, which also violated several border crossings with the United States, sparked protests against COVID-19 restrictions and calls for the liberal government to resign.
It ended after the federal liberal government invoked the Emergency Situations Act and police intervened to detain and arrest dozens of people.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau covered the latest protest convoy on Thursday in a speech at an event on Yom HaShoa or Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“Earlier this year, our country and people around the world were shocked and frightened to see Nazi images on display in the capital of our nation,” he said.
“For the Jewish community and for all Canadians, these images were deeply disturbing.
Bell, who promised an increased police presence this weekend, told reporters the service has learned a lot from the experience. He said the Hate Crimes Unit had already been involved in the preparations for the event, and anyone showing symbols of hatred would be charged.
He added that officers would arrest all protesters from the Freedom Convoy, who were ordered by the court to stay away from the city as a condition of their release.
“Many of those accused of the illegal protest in February have conditions not to be in Ottawa,” he said. “These persons must comply with the conditions set by the court. If these conditions are violated, these people will be arrested and charged. “
Organizers of the convoy said they plan to arrive on Friday before gathering on Saturday morning and touring the city center, stopping at the National War Memorial, as well as a march and rally on Parliament’s hill.
One of the organizers of the convoy, Neil Shird, who had taken part in protests against the restrictions on COVID-19, had previously warned “free for all” if police did not allow protesters to carry their bicycles through the streets around Parliament Hill.
However, Ottawa police have identified much of the center as a no-go zone, including several blocks around Parliament Hill and the National War Memorial.
The expected route the convoy will take on Saturday will go around the edge of this “exclusive zone” and will be in the field of view of the War Memorial and Parliament’s hill. However, vehicles will be prevented from reaching both sites.
Bell said convoy participants would be allowed to approach the two sites but not carry their vehicles.
“We will not prevent protesters from attending the nation’s capital to have their voices heard,” he said. “What we are doing is taking steps to make sure there are no vehicles in a certain area while driving foot-based protests.”
As for the actual motorcycle trip through the city, Bell said staff would monitor it closely and participants would be barred from stopping or parking throughout the route.
Police will also closely monitor the locations where convoy members plan to set up for the weekend, he said, including a church east of the center and a more rural area to the west.
Downtown Ottawa County. Catherine McKenney said earlier this week that many Ottawa residents who felt terrorized by the Freedom Convoy were fed up and ready to take matters into their own hands if the Rubbing Thunder convoy entered their neighborhoods.
Bell acknowledged that there was a breach of trust between our community and the police because of what happened in February. But he urged residents to notify police if they saw anything and to avoid conflict with convoy members.
“We see a lot of conflicts online about this event,” he added. “It should be away from people in groups behind keyboards who want to cause discord.”
“I absolutely do not want to see this conflict on our streets this weekend.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, who was also present at the briefing, at one point encouraged residents to continue their business this weekend, saying: “We also encourage residents to continue shopping downtown, to continue shopping at the ByWard Market. .
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on April 28, 2022.
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