The Canadian Press Published Monday, June 27, 2022 12:40 PM EDT Last Updated on Monday, June 27, 2022 2:25 PM EDT
Ottawa is preparing for a new round of protests that is expected to begin on Canada Day and the mayor and city police chief say they are ready.
Mayor Jim Watson and interim police chief Steve Bell say security plans have been drawn up to allow for safe celebrations on Friday despite the threat of protests.
“I want to assure everyone that the RCMP, the Ottawa Police, the Gatineau Police and the Parliamentary Protection Service are fully prepared to respond to any situation,” Watson told a news conference Monday.
The city has been the scene of several major demonstrations since supporters of the “Freedom Convoy” occupied the town center for three weeks in January and February.
Although police have since managed to prevent similar protests from taking over the city, it is likely that preventing planned demonstrations from going out of control during Canada Day will be complicated by the presence of thousands of people celebrating the national holiday.
“We will not be intimidated by any group that plans to interrupt the celebrations,” Watson said. “We are prepared and will not tolerate any illegal activity by anyone.”
Bell said police are prepared for a number of different scenarios and will respond quickly to any illegal activity, including efforts to establish structures such as scenarios.
“We have developed our plans in the shadow of the illegal protests and the Rolling Thunder event,” he said.
In late April, the Ottawa Police Services Board approved a request from Bell to appoint up to 831 RCMP officers to assist with the Rolling Thunder motorcycle events and made those appointments valid. until July 4th.
Watson said Ottawa residents and visitors should feel comfortable heading to Canada Day celebrations, which are held in a location west of downtown, but to be prepared for delays, street closures and other travel interruptions.
The City Council warns that vehicles will be discarded and towed if they are in breach of the no-stop zones, although the full extent of the areas that will be outside the limits has not been determined.
Bell said police are trying to contact protest organizers.
“We’ve had the opportunity thanks to the intelligence we’ve gathered and the open source reviews we’ve done to try to connect with the different people who are indicating they can come to Ottawa to protest,” Bell said. . .
Many Ottawa residents remain angry at how the city and police handled the “Freedom Convoy” protests, with several community groups coming together to begin a citizen investigation into how that protest was handled.
A group called the Ottawa People’s Commission on the Employment of the Convoy says it plans to present a final report early next year, written by a group that includes two lawyers and a social justice advocate.
The Centretown Community Health Center is the “anchoring agency and fundraising portal,” according to a press release. The group says ongoing reviews of what it calls a siege of the city are barely scratching the surface of what happened.
“We need this independent, non-partisan research to listen to ordinary citizens, advocacy organizations and social agencies, business owners, workers and other people whose lives were turned upside down during the occupation,” said Ken Rubin, a community activist which initiated the commission. .
The commission says it will hold hearings and consultations in late summer and early fall.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 27, 2022.