A visually impaired Ottawa resident who lived near the so-called Freedom Convoy says she lost her hearing from the constant honking of car horns in the capital.
Victoria De La Ronde, a retiree, was the first to testify Friday before the public inquiry into the Government of Canada’s use of the Emergencies Act.
Mme De La Ronde said the protests impaired her hearing and she felt trapped in her residence. She says she thought about putting on earplugs, but she was worried she wouldn’t hear a fire alarm.
To this day, she says she has difficulty hearing car horns or smelling gasoline.
She also said that during her outings, she was often blocked by protesters, who, she said, ended up leaving her alone by telling her “that they still loved her”.
The commission also heard testimony from Zexi Li, a 22-year-old civil servant who launched a class action lawsuit against the convoy organizers on February 3.
The young woman testified that she did not feel safe walking in the streets of the capital, where chaos reigned, she said.
She pointed out that when she walked down the street with her mask on, she was getting honked at by protesters.
“We really didn’t know what they would do to us,” she said.
First witnesses of a long list
Mmy De La Ronde and Li are among 65 witnesses, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and convoy organizers, who will appear before the commission.
On February 14, the Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time as protesters opposed to COVID-19 obligations blocked border crossings and occupied streets in downtown Ottawa.
Use of the law temporarily granted police extraordinary powers and allowed banks to freeze accounts, which the government said was key to ending the protests.
The State of Emergency Commission is examining the effect of the protests on Ottawa residents, as well as communications between city councillors, police and other government officials.
The Emergencies Act requires that a public inquiry be held to examine the circumstances surrounding the decision to use it. Public hearings are scheduled to continue until November 25.