(OTTAWA) The Ottawa People’s Commission concludes that the three-week “freedom convoy” demonstration in the federal capital last winter constituted a “widespread violation” of residents’ rights.
The People’s Commission, an initiative of the Downtown Ottawa Community Health Centre, released the first part of its final report on Monday on the impacts of the prolonged protest, dubbed the “occupation.”
Commissioners heard from more than 200 residents, many of whom said they had been victims of violence, harassment and assault at the hands of protesters.
The report says that amid this “occupation” of downtown Ottawa by people who challenged health measures and the federal government, residents of the capital felt abandoned by the police and the various levels of government. .
The report speaks of a “colossal abdication” by municipal, provincial and federal governments.
The people’s commission highlights in particular in this report that people with disabilities were suddenly deprived of services, while support agencies reduced their activities. Furthermore, many residents felt “trapped and imprisoned” in their own homes.
“Through much of February 2022, the thousands of people who live and work in downtown Ottawa endured weeks of widespread human rights abuses, in an atmosphere of threat, fear, harassment violence and bullying marked by racism, misogyny, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia and other expressions of hatred and intolerance, reads the report released on Monday.
“The impact has inevitably been greatest on the most vulnerable people and communities. »
The second part of the report, which will be published in March, will offer “more in-depth analysis and recommendations for action”, the people’s commission said.
This dispatch was produced with financial assistance from the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for News.