Ottawa is bracing for a new round of protests set to begin on Canada Day — but the mayor and police chief say they’re ready.
Mayor Jim Watson and Ottawa Police Service Acting Director Steve Bell said Monday that security plans have been developed to allow for a safe Canada Day holiday on Friday, despite the threat of protests in the city. federal capital.
“I want to assure everyone that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ottawa police, the Gatineau police and the Parliamentary Protective Service are fully prepared to respond to any situation,” Mayor Watson said at a press conference on Monday. .
The federal capital had been the scene of several large demonstrations by supporters of the so-called Freedom Convoy, which occupied the city center for three weeks in January and February.
While police have since managed to prevent similar protests from regaining control of the city, it will likely be more complicated to prevent planned protests from spiraling out of control on Canada Day, with thousands of people turning out to celebrate the national holiday. .
“We will not be intimidated by any group that plans to disrupt the celebrations,” said Mayor Watson. We are ready and we will not tolerate any illegal activity from anyone. »
No fixed structures
Chief Bell said police are prepared for a number of different scenarios and will respond quickly to any illegal activity, including efforts to erect structures as makeshift stages. “We made our plans based on the illegal protests and the ‘Rolling Thunder’ event,” he explained.
In late April, the Ottawa Police Services Board approved a request from Chief Bell to mobilize up to 831 RCMP officers to assist with the motorcycling activities of the “Rolling Thunder”. This special mobilization remains valid until July 4 — after Canada Day.
Mayor Watson said Monday that Ottawa residents and visitors should feel free to join in the Canada Day celebrations, which are taking place west of downtown. They should, however, expect delays, street closures and other traffic disruptions.
The City of Ottawa warns that vehicles in violation of no stopping zones will be ticketed and towed; however, the full extent of the areas that will be prohibited has not yet been determined.
Chief Bell said police were trying to contact protest organizers. “We’ve had the opportunity, through the intelligence we’ve gathered and the open source reviews we’ve done, to try to connect with the various people who are indicating they may be coming to Ottawa to protest.” , said the acting chief of the municipal police.
A “people’s commission”
Many Ottawa residents are still angry at the way the City and the police have handled the Freedom Ride protests. Several community groups have thus come together to launch a “citizen inquiry” into the way in which this demonstration had been managed by the authorities.
The “Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation” said the work would be chaired by two lawyers and a social justice activist.
“Local and federal reviews of what happened in the nation’s capital, and across Canada, last winter only scratches the surface of this dangerous, undemocratic and outrageous occupation,” said Monday in press conference Ken Rubin, who launched the idea of this popular commission.
“We need this independent, non-partisan inquiry to listen to ordinary citizens, advocacy organizations, social agencies, business owners, workers and everyone else whose lives have been turned upside down during the occupation.
“Authorities need to answer the question of how such a detrimental assault on the city could have been allowed and how to strengthen the ability of Ottawa and other Canadian communities to prevent and resist such belligerence in the future. . »
The commission aims to hold public hearings and consultations in late summer and early fall, and then issue its final recommendations in February 2023, around the first anniversary of the “Siege of Ottawa.”