Hundreds of people on motorcycles and on foot entered downtown Ottawa on the second day of the Rolling Thunder biker event, with a strong police presence to monitor the protesters.
“The bikes are coming and we will get this monument back,” organizer Neil Sheard said during a service at the National War Memorial to kick off the day’s events.
Officers on foot and on motorcycles were stationed in the so-called exclusion zone and along the route for the motorcycle column for the event. So far this weekend, ten people have been arrested, while the Ottawa Statute and Regulatory Services have issued more than 560 parking ticket / ban on stopping in the exclusion zone.
Three people were arrested on Saturday, police said.
“A woman was arrested for attacking Elgin Street police at noon. A man was arrested (Saturday) afternoon for violating conditions stemming from the February occupation,” police said.
Police say a driver was arrested after he raced an OPP motorcycle to a checkpoint in the no-go zone.
“The man, who was released under conditions stemming from the February occupation, faces several charges.”
Interim Police Chief Steve Bell told CTV News at Six that he believes the police have done a “pretty good job” in managing the event.
“Part of what would be very important to me is how our citizens value success. We have heard loud and clear from our community that they are tired of this in our city and there is no tolerance for a repeat of what happened in February, “Bell said on Saturday night.
“From what we hear from our community, they are pleased with our police response. They would prefer this not to happen, but they understand that people will come to our city and expect their police service to actually run it, and I believe we did a pretty good job of that over the weekend. “
All roads are open in the city center, with police monitoring intersections through the exclusion zone.
In a statement late Saturday, police said several convoys and groups had been spotted outside the city.
“Our intelligence shows that many convoys have chosen not to come to Ottawa based on the operational position of the police,” police said.
Police say there will be “controlled access” in the city center on Sunday.
“The main goal of our efforts will be to support and defend the CN cycle for CHEO.”
Veterans of Freedom hosted a memorial service at the National War Memorial at 10 a.m., followed by a motorcade of more than 400 bicycles that rolled through the city center. Motorcycles rode down Elgin Street to Albert Street as supporters lined the street, waving Canadian flags.
The exclusion zone set up around the parliamentary section did not allow motorcycles and other vehicles involved in the protest to move around the National War Memorial.
“Fear and division are equal to hatred. “We may not agree with each other, but we don’t hate each other,” Sheard said.
Participants gather at the National War Memorial during a demonstration as part of a convoy-style protest that participants call “Looking for Thunder” in Ottawa, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Sean Kilpatrick)
Earlier, Sheard told the Evan Solomon Show this week that a bike rally was being held to “help heal and restore the dignity of this desecrated monument” during the Freedom Convoy event in January. and February.
Sheard said the National War Memorial honors those who have sacrificed for the country.
“Today you are here, sacrificing your time, this monument turns it into time,” Sheard said.
“The truckers sacrificed, these people sacrificed, these people came here and sacrificed. They spent money to come here, they sacrificed. This is the kind of sacrifice we want because Canadians have to sacrifice to keep their freedom. “
The Rolling Thunder Ottawa website does not outline its goal or objectives for the weekend event, but says participants should “spread as much peace, love and patriotism as possible to your Canadian compatriots.”
During a one-hour speech at the war memorial, a speaker mentioned how the Ministry of National Defense and the police cordoned off the National War Memorial during the first weekend of the Freedom Convoy.
“They literally engaged the national symbol of freedom,” Alex said as the crowd booed and shouted “shame.”
“It was, I had no words. We chased him and he fell. “
Fences were erected at the war memorial after a woman stood on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in January.
Speakers at the event condemned the COVID-19 vaccine mandates and public health measures, the mainstream media and voiced opposition to the federal government.
Chris told the audience that the ceremony will return to the National War Memorial of All Canadians.
“This will allow us to restore the dignity of our victims, which was unjustly taken away from us, and not just veterans, all Canadians deserve access to pay due respect when they can,” Chris said.
Tom added: “That’s why we’re here today to restore respect for this memorial, and it’s something that has been won. Each of you here today are the fighters, you are all lions and our job is to wake up the rest of the world and turn them into lions. ”
Hundreds of people attended a rally on Parliament Hill on Saturday afternoon before heading up Bank Street to Gladstone Avenue and then back to the hill on Elgin Street. Among the speakers at the rally was the famous far-right figure Chris Skye. Sky was a prominent figure in the protests against COVID-19 mandates.
One man told Natalie van Roy of CTV News Ottawa that they were traveling from Saskatchewan for the Rolling Thunder Ottawa event.
“We could not miss it. “I and the boys who came with me, our fathers and grandfathers are veterans,” he said. “These guys are all vets here. It’s all about freedom, it really is. If you go into this crowd, everyone will hug you. “
Mayor Jim Watson told CTV News at Six that he had spoken to councilors Mathieu Flori and Catherine McKenna and they were pleased with the police response to the protest so far this weekend.
“They seem to think things are going relatively well in their wards, the isolation zones are working well,” Watson said.
“People are free to come and protest, but they can’t do what they did in February and act irresponsibly, scare our people, hurt our small business, so I’m impressed that Chief Bell and his team are accepting meaningless nonsense. approach, they have a very strong police presence. “
More than 200 motorcycles took part in a convoy on Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa on Saturday. (Aaron Reed / CTV News Ottawa)
Ottawa, OPP, RCMP and municipal police officers are stationed in the city center to watch the weekend’s protests. Bell says residents can expect to see more closed streets in the city center on weekends.
“We have plans to manage what will happen today. We have the resources in place here in Ottawa, ready to be used if there are problems, “Bell told Newstalk 580 CFRA on Saturday morning.
“People can expect to see more restrictions, they can expect to see closed streets, and our staff will continue to assess, manage and monitor what is happening so that we can keep the main area safe and unoccupied.”
The events come after police say officers dealt with an “aggressive crowd” in the Rideau and Sussex Drive area on Friday night, in front of the Rideau Center. Hundreds of people marched from Parliament Hill to Rideau Street shortly after 7 p.m., blocking the street for two hours until police entered to free protesters and several vehicles.
Seven people have been arrested for various crimes and three vehicles have been pulled from the streets, according to police. Bell said the “number of people” arrested Friday night was linked to probation for the Freedom Convoy protest in February.
Three vehicles were towed from the Rideau Street and Sussex Drive area on Friday night.
“No injuries have been reported and police remain in full control of the city’s streets,” a police statement said, adding that the streets in the restricted area were reopened late in the evening.
“Despite the week, we indicated that there will be no tolerance for this on our streets this weekend; they will not engage in occupation and there will be no tolerance for illegal or non-civilian activities, “Bell said.
“I think we saw that last night and we responded. We have plans, resources available today, to do exactly the same thing. I hope we do not need to use these tactics, but it is not my job to hope, so we will continue to be prepared, to carry out the plans we have to make sure that the city streets remain safe and open to the citizens of Ottawa. ”
Arrests on Saturday
Ottawa police told CTV News that 10 people had been arrested since the event began on Friday. Seven of those people were arrested Friday night.
Police said on Twitter that the driver of the vehicle had been arrested for dangerous driving on Saturday.
“Ignoring the instructions of the police in Elgin and Quinn, a vehicle climbed on the sidewalk and was detected,” police said.
“The driver was arrested for dangerous driving and identified as someone on bail not to enter Ottawa, stemming from accusations received during the February occupation.”
Ottawa’s charter issues hundreds of tickets
The Ottawa Statute and Regulatory Services have issued 560 tickets for vehicles violating restrictions on prohibited stopping and parking between 7 a.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday.
Eight slips for noise, smoking and burdening of highway violations have also been issued.
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