Ottawa Police Back Down to Freedom Convoy Protesters
Becker News
The Ottawa Police have accused protesters in the Canadian capital of being an unruly mob that is a danger to public safety. However, there have been very few arrests and the worst thing it can be accused of singing “We are the World” out of key.
On Friday night, the Ottawa Police appeared as if it were ready to forcibly disperse the peaceful protest, but subsequently backed down.
“Hold the line!” a protester shouted as the police backed away from forcing a confrontation.
Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said earlier this week that “every single option” was being considered to end the “intolerable, unprecedented” protests against vaccine mandates and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The police chief admitted that such extreme action would “come with massive risks.” But he added, without providing credible evidence, that “the range of illegal, dangerous and unacceptable activities is beyond the ability to list.” On Friday, Sloly demanded that the truckers “remain peaceful.”
Justin Trudeau denied on Thursday that the nation was considering military intervention.
“One has to be very, very cautious before deploying the military in situations engaging Canadians,” Trudeau said.
“This is not something we’re looking at right now. There is no question of sending in the army,” he told reporters.
After it was clear that the protests would remain peaceful, the Ottawa Police, citing unproven reports of “illegal acts” committed by unidentified individuals, painted the demonstration as an ‘occupation.’
“The hatred, violence, and illegal acts that #Ottawa residents and businesses have endured over the last week are unacceptable in any circumstance and City of Ottawa are bringing significantly greater resources to restore order, hold offenders to account and protect our neighborhoods,” the Ottawa Police claimed.
“The current occupation of the Parliamentary Precinct remains unresolved despite significant success in reducing the number of trucks/demonstrators while preventing riots, injuries and death,” the Ottawa Police continued. “We take no solace in these operational successes. The demonstrators in this red zone area remain highly organized, well-funded, and extremely committed to resisting efforts to end the demonstration safely.”
“This remains a very volatile and very dangerous demonstration… [Ottawa Police] continues to work national security agencies, the @RCMP, the @OPP and other police agencies,” it added. “We’re also working with all three levels of government to affect a safe, timely and lawful end to this unlawful and unacceptably dangerous demonstration.”
The Ottawa Police subsequently used the unproven allegations leveled against the Freedom Convoy organizers to demand GoFundMe shut down its crowdsourcing fundraiser worth more than $10 million.
Later that day, an attorney working with the Freedom Convoy organizers named Keith Wilson delivered a chilling statement about what they were up against.
“It’s Friday, February 4th,” Wilson said. “And I’m speaking to you from the hotel at the center of the truckers freedom convoy in downtown Ottawa.”
“Over the past year, the federal government in Canada or prime minister, Trudeau has taken away Canadians’ charter rights, constitutional rights to travel freely, has taken away truckers’ rights to travel, their mobility rights, their ability to make a living under the constitution for those who’ve chosen to be unvaccinated,” he continued.
“This afternoon, the chief of the city police for Ottawa made announcements that are disturbing and should trouble Canadians and those around the world who support this trucker protest for freedom,” the lawyer added. “The police chief essentially announced an assault on the protestors. He announced that very specific measures that we normally only see instituted by oppressive regimes around the world would be initiated. He effectively announced that he is going to be taking away Canadian’s charter right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.”
“We are being censored,” he said. “Please get this out to the world.”
On Friday, Ottawa police said they are “stepping up measures to protect downtown neighbourhoods,” according to CTV News Ottawa.
“Chief Peter Sloly announced a new ‘surge and contain strategy’ Friday that he said would ‘restore order, hold offenders to account and protect our neighbourhoods’,” CTV News Ottawa added.
“The strategy includes sending 150 more officers to affected neighbourhoods to target unlawful behaviour connected to the ongoing occupation, which is a protest against COVID-19 mandates,” the report noted.
“The surge will deliver a clear message to the demonstrators: the lawlessness must end,” Chief Sloly said.
“The new measures also include barricading the protest ‘red zone’ using hundreds of concrete and heavy-equipment barricades, cutting off access to the downtown core for more vehicles,” CTV Ottawa continued. “Sloly said this will further isolate and contain the demonstration.”
“Incoming vehicles will be directed to designated parking zones outside the downtown core, and vehicles parked illegally will be ticketed and towed,” the report said. “Police said they may close highways, interprovincial bridges and major roadways to keep vehicles out of downtown. The city released a full list of road closures Friday afternoon.”
“Police say they have also increased efforts to identify protesters who are funding and enabling unlawful activity,” CTV Ottawa reported.
“The hatred, violence, and illegal acts that Ottawa residents and businesses have endured over the last week is unacceptable in any circumstance,” Sloly said.
“The current occupation of the Parliamentary Precinct remains unresolved despite significant success in reducing the number of trucks/demonstrators while preventing riots, injuries and death. We take no solace in these operational successes,” he added.
Rebel News reported that crime in the area of the protests is actually lower than what is typical for Ottawa.
“The crime rate in Ottawa, however, has declined during the convoy’s occupation as reported Friday morning in Blacklock’s Reporter”:
The truckers’ blockade covers ten square blocks in the Centretown district. Preliminary police data show street crime fell sharply in the district since the protest began last Friday.
The district saw 31 police calls for robbery, assault, drug trafficking, public drunkenness, stolen vehicles, store break-ins and other crimes in the week prior to the protest. There were three reports of street crime since the protest began for mischief, robbery and auto theft. Police yesterday said data were incomplete.
“There have been no riots, injuries or deaths,” Police Chief Peter Sloly testified Wednesday at the Municipal Police Services Board. “We are arresting, charging and investigating bad actors.” All charges against truckers to date involved routine traffic violations or breach of a local noise bylaw for horn honking.
The Freedom Convoy’s attorney, Keith Wilson, has confirmed that the new donation site is with the Christian crowdsourcing site GiveSendGo, which has pledged not to deplatform the Freedom Convoy organizers.
I confirm that this is the new official donation site for the Freedom Convoy 2022. Please help the truckers fighting for freedom. https://t.co/oHOldcL17y
— Keith Wilson, Q.C. (@ikwilson) February 5, 2022
The GiveSendGo website has been under relentless assault since the announcement that it would crowdsource Freedom Convoy contributions. Despite this, it had raised over a million dollars in less than 24 hours.
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(TLB) published this article from Becker News as written and compiled by Kyle Becker
Header featured image (edited) credit: Demonstration/theparadise.ng/
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