The Ottawa police were on their toes on the second day of the “freedom convoy” demonstration on Sunday, and were already working to organize the departure of truckers from the federal capital.
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After Saturday’s outbursts around national monuments, the police revised their strategy.
“I know that yesterday we saw national monuments that were really… It’s not acceptable the behavior we saw. Today, we have barricades erected around several monuments,” spokeswoman Amy Gagnon explained on LCN on Sunday morning.
“The police presence is going to be there. There will be a lot of police around. We really want peace and security for everyone now,” she added.
The latter also explained that, although certain behaviors have been tolerated to prevent the demonstrations from degenerating, not everything is allowed.
“We do not accept any criminal act. If there are threats, damage being caused, we encourage people to call us. We have investigators who are ready, we have discussed with the Crown, we are ready to lay charges, ”assured Ms. Gagnon, admitting however that no arrests were made on Saturday or during the night.
“Chaotic” start
In addition, the police were already preparing for the departure of the truckers and a semblance of a return to normal on Monday.
To achieve this, the police are in contact with the organizers of the demonstrations
“We are trying to plan a departure from the city center. It’s going to be chaotic, that’s for sure. But we try to convey the message that we have residents who have to work. We must respect these people who live here and who must continue to live,” explained the spokesperson.
In the meantime, the capital was still idling on Sunday with many street and business closures, while the public transport network was disrupted. The demonstrations also had an effect in Gatineau, where the police temporarily closed streets to escort the demonstrators.