(OTTAWA) Ottawa police said Wednesday that on the sidelines of the convoy against sanitary measures, a 48-year-old Quebecer was charged with uttering threats and advising to commit a criminal act – which does not was not committed.
Posted at 1:01 p.m.
The charges relate to threats and comments made on social media while the accused was in Ottawa, police said.
It is therefore now three men who have been arrested after investigations linked to the demonstrations in the federal capital, while the organizers of the convoy threaten to stay “as long as it takes” for governments to put an end to compulsory vaccinations in particular cross-border truckers.
Police say André Lacasse, 37, of Ottawa, was charged Sunday with carrying a weapon at a public meeting. Matthew Dorken, 29, of Ottawa, was charged Tuesday with mischief under $5,000, following an incident that allegedly occurred on Saturday. The police clarified that the man had not been arrested on Saturday, at the time of the alleged events, “in order to avoid a larger confrontation”.
The Ottawa Police Service said Tuesday that 13 investigations were underway and eight complaints had been received, three of which were entrusted to the unit specializing in hate crimes.
“We want to make it clear, both for the current demonstrations and for any demonstration planned: illegal activities will not be tolerated,” the Ottawa police said in a statement.
Ottawa residents, frustrated by the incessant sound of truck horns, traffic jams and harassment of some protesters, are questioning the way police have handled the protest so far over the weekend.
Municipal police and City of Ottawa officials said it was important to avoid escalating the situation and provoking violent confrontations with protesters. Police Director Peter Sloly was scheduled to provide an update Wednesday afternoon to City Council and the Ottawa Police Services Board.
“Engage in dialogue”
Canada Unity, the group behind the protest, was born during a 2019 pro-pipeline convoy in Ottawa, but transformed after the start of the pandemic into a group opposed to all health measures against COVID-19.
In a statement released Wednesday, one of the convoy leaders said the blame for Ottawa’s difficulties during the protest lay with politicians who “prefer to vilify and insult us” than engage in dialogue.
“The fastest way to get us out of the nation’s capital is to call your elected officials and end mandatory vaccinations,” wrote Chris Barber, who is described in the release as one of the convoy leaders. Barber says protesters’ interactions with Ottawa police have been “generally positive,” particularly with frontline officers.
Tamara Lich, spokesperson for the convoy, also said in the statement that organizers were surprised by the number of participants who showed up in Ottawa. She also assured that the demonstrators had no intention of leaving. “It was a bit complicated at first, logistically, but now we are well organized and settling in, until Canada becomes a free nation again,” she wrote.
Ottawa police estimate they spent about $800,000 a day monitoring the protest and responding to emergencies. Some now demand that part of the millions of dollars collected to support the demonstration be paid in compensation for the disgraceful gestures of certain demonstrators.
The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, which represents private trucking fleets, acknowledged the protest went “too far,” citing the desecration of the National War Memorial and Terry Fox statue in the center. -ville, as well as the harassment of the waiters and clients of the homeless shelter Les Bergers de l’espoir. The association suggested that protesters make donations to the Terry Fox Foundation, the Royal Canadian Legion and the Shepherds of Hope.
The House of Commons on Tuesday adopted by unanimous consent four motions presented by the Liberals. The Chamber condemns the use of Nazi and anti-Semitic symbols during the protest, the “hateful and harmful Islamophobic rhetoric” and the waving of racist flags.
In the fourth motion, the House declares that “there is nothing peaceful about harassing Ottawa residents who display pride flags in their homes and neighborhoods.”
“That the House agree that the harassment, transphobia and all forms of homophobia observed over the weekend are an insult to the truth and to our democracy. »