Protesters in Ottawa on April 30. The Ottawa Police Department did not specify how many employees it had for rallies, which the organizers branded as a demonstration of “rolling thunder”. Spencer Colby / Globe and Mail
Ottawa residents and police breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday as protesters, who sparked a widespread security response this weekend, left the nation’s capital.
The Ottawa Police Department did not specify how many officers it had available for rallies, which organizers called a demonstration of “Looking for Thunder.” Ottawa forces have sought help from both Ontario and RCMP police before protesters arrived in the capital on Friday. The city center was still on the brink after a three-week convoy protest this winter halted the city’s main streets and closed businesses.
As of Sunday afternoon, 10 arrests had been made, mostly of those ordered not to return to Ottawa after the convoy.
The Rolling Thunder is in Ottawa. What is it and how does the city react?
Those behind the weekend’s events were unclear about their purpose other than their stated intention to “celebrate our freedom peacefully.” But they were linked to groups involved in the convoy protest and opposed mandates to vaccinate against COVID-19.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said residents were exhausted and “wrote to them about similar events coming to our city.” He said they learned a lot from the blockade this winter. “This one was obviously much smaller, and I think everyone in power has done a much better job of coordinating our response,” he said in an interview.
Ottawa police are preparing hard for the demonstration this weekend, after the forces have been the subject of much criticism for their reaction to the convoy. Officials were then criticized for being too passive with protesters clinging to streets in the center with large facilities, as well as barbecues, bouncy castles and inflatable hot tubs. In the end, in February, police had to move in and forcibly remove people in one of the largest police operations in Canadian history.
Community members viewed this weekend’s events as a major test for the Ottawa Police Department. The forces were aware of what prompted proactive communication with the public about their plans.
On Saturday night, the service issued a statement saying local police and their partners had stepped up their downtown presence to run protests and events. It says several downtown ramps have been closed with the help of the OPP and the Ontario Department of Transportation. Ottawa forces also said several convoys and groups had been spotted outside the city, but intelligence gathering showed many had chosen not to come to Ottawa “based on the police’s operational position.”
Samuel Field of Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, who was driving a truck to Ottawa this weekend and took part in the convoy this winter, said police were trying to intimidate protesters and apply a “marriage mentality”. He said he received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and decided not to receive another because he fell ill after the injection. This means that he cannot travel within Canada by plane. Mr Field said he was “passionately fighting” against the “tyrannical superiority” of the federal government.
Mr Watson said on Sunday additional police resources showed early in their desire to help the Ottawa forces this weekend, which is different from the winter blockade. There were a number of tow trucks on Lorie Avenue in downtown Ottawa, he said. A significant challenge during the convoy was securing towing trucks.
Citing the federal emergency law in response to protests in Ottawa and other parts of the country this winter, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the law provides powers such as forcing truck drivers to move large facilities away from blockades.
Last week, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino told a special committee of parliamentarians considering the use of emergency measures that the liberal government had invoked the law because law enforcement officials had informed him that existing measures had not been effective in restoring public safety.
A public inquiry will also review the use of the act.
Mr Watson said he had spoken to Mr Mendicino last week and the federal government knew the city would send a bill for the costs incurred during the blockade. The city of Ottawa said in a municipal document that federal partners have advised that all costs for the winter convoy are expected to be reimbursed – approximately $ 35 million.
Although the final price of the demonstration this weekend is not yet known, Mr. Watson expects it to reach several million dollars.
Alex Cohen, a spokesman for Mr Mendicino, said the federal government was in close contact with the city, including on cost-setting.
Some members of the Rolling Thunder convoy arrived in downtown Ottawa on Friday night, where there was already a large police presence.
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