The Ottawa Transitional Police Chief warns that the city will not tolerate any kind of long-term occupation of the capital as hundreds of motorcyclists prepare to descend on the city from Friday.
During a briefing on Thursday, caretaker chief Steve Bell told reporters that organizers of the Rolling Thunder escort had said they planned to leave the capital by Sunday.  If they do not, he added, his officers are ready to act.
“We were really clear: We are not going to tolerate any kind of illegal activity that implies any kind of long-term occupation of any area of ​​our city,” Bell said.  “We will be very responsive and very proactive in locating and dismantling any kind of (camps).”
The warning came as police and Ottawa residents, many more shocked by the Freedom Convoy that occupied the city center for more than three weeks in February, prepared for another round of unrest and protests.
The “Rolling Thunder” group was not clear about the purpose for which it is gathering, except to say that they will be in Ottawa to “celebrate our freedom peacefully.”  However, the organization has collaborated with many groups that are apparently linked to the “Freedom Agreement”.
This occupation disrupted traffic, forced businesses to close, and sparked allegations of intimidation, harassment, and hate speech.  Police leader Peter Sloli resigned after many residents criticized the police that he did not maintain a tougher stance with the protesters.
The demonstration, which also cut off several border crossings with the United States, sparked protests against COVID-19 restrictions and demands from the Liberal government to resign.
It ended after the federal Liberal government invoked the Emergency Law and police intervened to arrest and detain dozens of people.
Prime Minister Justin Trinto on Thursday reflected the latest protest escort in statements at an event on Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“Earlier this year, our country and people around the world were shocked and disappointed to see Nazi images appear in our nation’s capital,” he said.
“For the Jewish community and for all Canadians, these images were deeply disturbing.”
Bell, who promised a strong police presence this weekend, told reporters that the service has learned a lot from this experience.  He said the hate crime unit was already involved in preparing the event and anyone displaying hate symbols would be blamed.
He added that officers would arrest any “Freedom Convoy” protesters ordered by the courts to stay away from the city as a condition for their release.
“Many of the people accused of protesting illegally in February are conditioned not to be in Ottawa,” he said.  “These people must respect 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 make a circle around the center’s core, with a stop at the National War Memorial as well as a march and rally on Parliament Hill.
One of the organizers of the escort, Neil Sheard, who has been involved in protests against COVID-19 restrictions, had previously warned of a “free for all” if the police did not let the protesters bring their bikes to the streets around Parliament.  Hill.
However, Ottawa police have designated much of downtown as a no-go zone for vehicles, including several blocks around Parliament Hill and the National War Memorial.
The expected route that the escort will follow on Saturday will bypass the edge of this “exclusion zone” and will come in contact with the War Memorial and the Hill of Parliament.  However, vehicles will be prevented from reaching the two locations.
Bell indicated that escorts would be allowed to walk to the two sites, but not to bring their own vehicles.
“We are not going to stop the 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 particular area while managing pedestrian protests.”
As for the actual motorcycle ride through the city, Bell said officers would monitor it closely and participants would not be allowed to stop or park all the way.
Police will also monitor closely the locations where escort participants plan to set up for the weekend, he said, including a church east of the city center and a more rural area to the west.
Downtown Ottawa Coun.  Catherine McKenney said earlier this week that many Ottawa residents who felt intimidated by Freedom Convoy were bored and ready to take matters into their own hands if the Rolling Thunder escort entered their neighborhoods.
Bell acknowledged that “there was a rift between our community and the police force” over what happened in February.  However, he urged residents to alert police if they see anything and to avoid collisions with escort participants.
“We see a lot of conflict on the internet about this,” he added.  “Necessary by people in groups behind keyboards away who want to cause discord.”
“I absolutely do not want to see this clash in our streets this weekend.”
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, who was also briefed, at one point encouraged residents to continue their activities this weekend, saying: “We also encourage residents to continue shopping in the city center, to continue shopping. in the ByWard market “.
This Canadian Press report was first published on April 28, 2022.