The rally was compared to the Freedom Convoy protest, which occupied central Ottawa for several weeks in January and February and has been described as illegal occupation several times. His schedule includes rallies Friday night and Saturday afternoon at Parliament Hill, a Saturday event at the National War Memorial, a Saturday walk through the city streets and a Sunday morning church service in Vanier. Ottawa police have called on other services to help and say they will not allow protest vehicles in a “blockade” consisting of dozens of blocks in the city center. Special no-parking zones are also being set up in nearby neighborhoods. At a news conference Thursday morning, incumbent Police Chief Steve Bell said riders were expected to gather Saturday morning at an unspecified location on Coventry Road before leaving around 10:45 p.m. This is the route that the Rolling Thunder Ottawa motorcycle rally is expected to follow on Saturday, April 30, according to the Ottawa police. (CBC)
Stopping at War Memorial is not allowed
The plan shared with police then forces them to head north on Vanier Parkway, turn onto Montreal Street and cross the Cummings Bridge to Rideau Street, Bell said. From there, the route will turn south on Waller Street, head to Mackenzie King Bridge, descend Elgin Street and turn east on Laurier Avenue West, Bell said. They will finish driving on Nikolaou Street and exiting on Highway 417, he said. The entire route will be a no-go zone, and Bell said officers will monitor the route to ensure that participants cross the city “safely and quickly” with “as little impact on residents as possible.” Saturday’s National War Memorial event is expected to coincide with the route, but cyclists will not be allowed to stop at the memorial as they pass, Bell said. The entire route will bypass the boundaries of the exclusion zone, he noted. Rally organizers have now indicated that up to 400 riders will take part, Bell said, less than the 500 to 1,000 estimated by the incumbent earlier this week. Many would stay in hotels downtown, he said. He did not estimate how many more protesters would arrive on foot, but said the plan would represent those numbers. Organizers also said the protesters would leave Ottawa on Sunday, Bell said. City and police officials held a press conference on Thursday, a day before the Rolling Thunder Ottawa motorcade was scheduled to arrive in the capital. (Joseph Tunney / CBC)
The Community’s concerns are taken seriously
The Rolling Thunder Ottawa has aligned itself with various motivated groups, including a group of veterans working to restore “fundamental rights and freedoms” and a non-profit organization dedicated to “the end of all tyrannical bills and legislation.” The involvement of vehicles, along with its links to the recent Freedom Escort, have left many downtown residents at a dead end, after weeks of harassment, noise and road and business closures earlier this year. Several of the Freedom Convoy suspects have conditions barring them from being in Ottawa, and Bell said if they ignored those terms and showed up at the rally they would face arrest. Ottawa police have already said they will spread to central neighborhoods to try to keep the protest legal and free of hatred, with officials from the OPP, RCMP and other forces involved to help. “We’ve been listening to the community and we’re taking the concerns seriously. You’ll see it in every element of our design,” Bell said. The city has also announced a crackdown on regulation, with officers expected to be outside to enforce parking rules, reduce vehicle noise and prevent garbage. In an email Wednesday, the city said Rolling Thunder organizers contacted April 13 for a special event permit for Saturday, but the request was rejected because the city needs at least 28 days to process such requests. Regular pedestrian and vehicle traffic will be allowed within the exclusion zone and transit is expected to proceed normally. Even though there are some traffic jams and delays, Mayor Jim Watson urged residents to enjoy the city center at the weekend and support local businesses. “People certainly have the right to demonstrate peacefully,” Watson told a news conference on Thursday. “And I want to emphasize that no illegal activity will be tolerated.”
