The Rolling Thunder Ottawa website does not provide much detail about this weekend’s rally, but events are scheduled for today, Saturday and Sunday at the National War Memorial, Parliament and a church in Vanier. The first event of the weekend is a Freedom Fighters Canada rally and march at 6 p.m. on the hill of Parliament. As cyclists and supporters arrive in Ottawa for the event, a motorized exclusion zone is now in place in downtown and ByWard Market areas. “Motor vehicles involved in any event within this zone are not allowed,” police said. “However, the roads are not closed. Residents and businesses are allowed to travel, as well as pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.” Interim Chief Steve Bell told reporters on Thursday that vehicles and physical barriers would be created in some locations around the exclusion zone. “City vehicles, heavy equipment or police and police vehicles will be at various access points patrolling around the no-go zone to filter out legal traffic in and around these roads,” Bell said. “This weekend, residents will see a large and sustained presence of police and law enforcement, including law enforcement and parking.” Officers from the Ottawa Police Department, the Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP, and the municipal police force will be deployed throughout the downtown area to protest. There will be no street parking or parking anywhere within the exclusion zone, which covers Waller Street, Wellington / Rideau, Bay Street and Laurier Avenue. Parking is available within the zone in parking lots and garages. On-street parking will be allowed this weekend at ByWard Market. Mayor Jim Watson says the city is ready for this. “I’m much more confident about preparing for this particular ride of about 500 riders,” Watson told CTV Power Play. “We have exclusion zones where these people can not ride their bikes in residential neighborhoods and we also have a larger police presence.”
‘NO WELCOME PARTY’
Two miles from the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill, Community Solidarity Ottawa hosts a “Welcome Party” tonight. “We can not leave this unquestioned,” said organizer Brian Latour. The CSO says they wanted to do something to send a message to the Rolling Thunder Rally that they are not welcome in Ottawa. The event also aims to show publicly how upset the Centretown residents were by the escorts. The “Unwelcome Party” starts at 5 pm at Strathcona Park in Sandy Hill.
NO STOP ZONES
Ottawa statute says enforcement will begin at 7 p.m. for vehicles that violate the Non-Stop Zones of Special Events in the exclusion zone. The no-stop and no-parking zones are Waller Street, Wellington / Rideau Street, Bay Street and Laurier Avenue.
OTTAWA CITY HALL
Ottawa City Hall and the underground car park are now closed for the weekend. The city says City Hall and parking are off limits to the public until Monday.
