Ottawa police say they are aware of planned Canadian Day protests and say they will not allow a repeat of the occupation of the Freedom Convoy, which took over downtown earlier this year.
Police said in a statement Friday that they had received several questions about planned protests and other comments online and had been planning accordingly for weeks.
“We will not allow conditions that led to the illegal protests in February to be repeated,” police said. “We are applying the lessons learned from the illegal protest, as well as the Rolling Thunder and related protests, to build our plan.
Police say they expect Heritage Canada celebrations – which are taking place at LeBreton Flats this year for the construction of Parliament Hill – to be bigger than usual. Several other big events in the city await them.
“These factors, combined with increased levels of protests and demonstrations, are driving our planning,” they said on Friday. “There will be significant road closures and a significant increase in police presence. We will bring many additional police resources from several services.
Organizers are planning events from late June to Canada Day and the rest of the summer to protest the remaining restrictions on COVID-19. Many have linked to or voiced support for the Freedom Convoy protest that took over downtown Ottawa in three weeks in January and February.
Public Safety Planning for Canada Day 2022:
We are working with the organizers of #CanadaDay and our police partners to implement a public safety plan that allows all Canadians and visitors to freely and safely enjoy the capital during this celebration. #ottawa #ottnews pic.twitter.com/grKpl8xaE8
– Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) June 17, 2022
The Veterans for Freedom group is holding a three-day conference in Ottawa next week and coordinating a June 30 itinerary for James Top and his supporters to walk through parts of Ottawa to the National War Memorial.
Top is a Canadian soldier who was indicted by the Department of National Defense in May after speaking publicly against federal vaccine requirements while in uniform.
The group is also planning Canada Day celebrations on the lawn of the Supreme Court of Canada, a march to the town hall and a dance party on Parliament Hill tonight.
Police say they will continue to ban vehicles in and around places of national importance, as was done for the “Looking for Thunder” event in late April.
“The right to lawful and peaceful demonstrations will always be protected,” police said. “The operational planning team has in mind that we do not want to overshadow this important and festive event. We will have the resources and plan to respond to security issues immediately. “
– with files from Canadian Press
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