Demonstration against sanitary measures | Ottawa police crack down on protesters

On the tenth day of protests in downtown Ottawa, police clamped down on protesters by preventing them from getting fuel. The mayor also declared a state of emergency.

Lila Dussault
The Press

Gas cans and propane gas canisters piled up at the temporary refueling center set up by protesters in Ottawa’s Coventry Street baseball stadium were seized by police, according to several videos posted live on social media on Sunday. Patrick King, one of the leaders of the movement, called on all protesters to oppose this measure by showing up in Ottawa on Monday with a “jerry can” (a can of gasoline), in a video posted live on Facebook the same evening.

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) toughened up on protesters on Sunday afternoon by announcing that refueling protesters was now prohibited. “Anyone attempting to deliver support materials (petrol, etc.) to protesters will be subject to arrest,” the OPS tweeted.

Shortly after, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency in the Canadian capital.

According to the City, the state of emergency will give the municipality more flexibility to provide essential services to residents. The declaration of the state of emergency will also make it possible to purchase necessary equipment for police, ambulance and other front-line workers, thanks to a “more flexible” procurement process.

“The state of emergency gives the authorities much more power, ranging from making arrests to requesting additional assistance from the provincial or federal side,” explains Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former executive of the Canadian Intelligence Service of security.

The organizers of the “freedom convoy” plan to retaliate with other strategies. In particular, they plan to send en masse calls for the impeachment of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the Governor General of Canada. A group is also working to find accommodation for truckers when they run out of fuel.

Hundreds of tickets

The OPS arrested seven people on Sunday, six for mischief and one for prohibited conduct. The police also seized numerous vehicles and fuel, the SPO said in a statement on Sunday evening.

450 tickets have been handed out to protesters since Saturday for a variety of reasons, ranging from excessive noise to non-compliance with signs and suspended driver’s licenses, according to the latest report from the SPO published at 11 a.m. Sunday. The police have also responded to 650 calls related to the demonstrations since their beginning. More than 60 criminal offences, including several for hate crimes, are under investigation.

This is a change of tone in the interventions of the SPO until now, which relied more on mediation. Mr. Juneau-Katsuya criticizes the strategy of the city police, which allowed trucks to park in the city, leading to an escalation in the demonstration. “This escalation has given the demonstrators a boost,” he believes. They felt invested with a mission, and that is dangerous. »

Financial losses

The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe announced on Saturday that the $10 million raised for the “freedom convoy” would not be distributed to the organizers of the event. Funds will instead be returned to donors in 7-10 business days, according to a statement.

One of the organizers of the demonstration, Tamara Lich, reacted in a video Friday to announce a new official donation site, the GiveSendGo, established in the United States.

Protesters could also face a first legal challenge at their expense. An Ottawa lawyer filed a class action suit in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on behalf of thousands of city residents seeking millions of dollars in damages and an injunction “barring the continuation of the nuisance “. Judge Hugh McLean said he would not make a decision until Monday.

Indigenous communities at odds

The Anishinaabe communities of Pikwakanagan and Kitigan Zibi as well as the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council have positioned themselves at odds with the convoy of truckers and their supporters in a press release issued Wednesday.

“For those who participate in these actions, the nation [anichinabée] denounces the establishment of a teepee, a pipe ceremony and a sacred fire in Confederation Park,” the statement said. ” The nation [anichinabée] did not give consent for these ceremonial practices. »

On its Facebook page, the group “Canada Unity” announced on Saturday that it had defeated the Confederation Park camp and expressed its apologies to the First Nations. By Sunday evening, the OPS announced that Confederation Park had been completely evacuated and closed.

An effervescence on social networks

On social networks, supporters of the movement are always enthusiastic. “The truckers, volunteers, organizers, police, people ALL ARE SIMPLY INCREDIBLE,” a protester returning from Ottawa said on the Facebook group “Freedom Convoy 2022” on Saturday. “We were so well taken care of, when we were the ones who went there to support them lolll LOVE AND MUTUAL HELP YOU WANT IN VLA, she continues. This morning I am still moved. »

“You’re absolutely right,” replied another Internet user. Seeing all those smiles on people’s faces…it was such a boost energy [in]believable. Congratulations to everybody ! »

In addition, a man called @Maks_Charland on Instagram also chose to run from Chambly to Ottawa to support the movement. Leaving on Wednesday, he arrived in Canada’s capital on Sunday.

With The Canadian Press and The right