(Ottawa) A senior Ottawa police officer says the Federal Emergency Measures Act was useful in dislodging protesters from the “freedom convoy”, but he is not sure if it was necessary.
Posted at 12:18 p.m.
Superintendent Robert Bernier, who led the Ottawa Police Command Center for part of the February protests, continues his testimony before the Emergency Commission on Wednesday.
The public inquiry is to examine the federal government’s decision to invoke the Emergency Measures Act three weeks after the start of the crisis and to determine whether this unprecedented decision was justified.
Bernier had previously pointed out at committee hearings that in the days before the government resorted to the emergency law, police had developed an operational plan to root out protesters based on existing laws.
He argues that the day before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the use of Emergency Measures Actthe Ontario Provincial Police had 34 tow trucks with drivers ready to move vehicles that were blocking the streets around Parliament Hill.
Commission prosecutors specifically asked Mr. Bernier whether he believed federal law was necessary to root out the protesters; the superintendent replied, “It’s hard for me to say.”
Mr. Bernier pointed out that once the police intervened, they found that some protesters intended to stay and the officers “did not want to force a confrontation”.