On the road for several days, leading figures of the Freedom Convoy have now established a “camp” less than an hour’s drive from Ottawa, noted The duty. For their part, the capital’s police say they are ready in the event of demonstrations.
Tuesday, more than twenty vehicles were parked at an agricultural construction site, along a road in Casselman, approximately 60 kilometers from Ottawa. Vehicles with large Canadian flags and caravans with windows covered with inscriptions relating to the convoy were also seen in the city center.
“While we don’t see specific intelligence indicating there will be large-scale protests in Ottawa, there is [une] real possibility of holding demonstrations of a certain scale”, the SPO had indicated earlier, adding that it had “put in place the necessary resources to deal with any scenario”.
The individuals, who proclaim themselves “defenders of freedom”, are calling in particular for the resignation of Justin Trudeau, an “election by the people”, and want to “protect our school systems from the ideology of sex education”.
“We are in a convoy. We are organizing so that all the people of Canada can unite to protect our children,” declared Normann Branchfield live on Facebook, who however denies being an organizer. “I’m not a leader, I’m just a voice. Then everything is done by the people,” he said in another video, speaking directly to the Ottawa police.
Last Friday, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said it was “closely monitoring the possibility of vehicle-based protests” that could pass through the city or take place there “in the coming days.” A similar message was sent last Sunday and this Tuesday.
“Illegal behavior and vehicle-based demonstrations will be subject to a zero-tolerance policy,” added the OPS, saying it was prepared to deploy police officers downtown and surrounding areas in the event of demonstrations.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.