Ottawa Police Chief Vows No Repeat of ‘Freedom Convoy’ Last Winter

OTTAWA – Preparations to handle a possible return of the “Freedom Convoy” next February are already underway, he says OttawaThe new police chief.

Eric Stubbs, who took office last month, sent a letter to the mayor and the president of the Ottawa Police Services Board on Monday telling them that a police liaison team is contacting the organizers of the protest.

In the letter, Stubbs wrote that the force “will not allow the conditions that led to the illegal protests of February 2022.”

That promise comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national security adviser told a House of Commons committee earlier this month that federal officials were also planning ahead for the possible event.

James Bauder, co-founder of the Canada Unity group and one of the original organizers of last winter’s convoy, said in a November Facebook post that he is planning a gathering on behalf of “unity” from February 18-21, with plans to leave Ottawa on February 22.

Bauder and other core organizers including Tamara Lich, Pat King and Chris Barber face criminal charges for their role in the weeks-long protest. Bauder’s bail conditions require him to stay out of the facility. Ottawa.

stubbs said Ottawa Police will ensure precautions are taken to prevent a repeat of the demonstrations of last winter, when thousands of protesters and their vehicles blocked downtown streets in opposition to COVID-19 restrictions and the liberal federal government.

The disruptions forced some residents to leave their homes in the city center amid round-the-clock noise and reports of harassment by protesters. Many businesses closed their doors. And part of Wellington Street, the street in front of Parliament Hill where the protest was concentrated, has been closed to traffic ever since.

The executive director of the Sparks Street BIA, which represents nearby businesses, urges the city to allow traffic to resume. Even if Wellington Street doesn’t reopen, Kevin McHale said, the city should at least consult with businesses and residents about the impact the closure is having on them.

“Restaurants on the street can’t really get involved with things like delivery services, because there’s nowhere for their drivers to legally park,” McHale said.

Wellington Street was a major east-west artery in OttawaThe city center, and with its closure, other nearby streets have become more congested and are taking most of the heavy traffic.

“The irony is that this road (is) closed because of a truck convoy, and now we’re actually putting trucks in neighborhoods that have never had to deal with them before,” McHale said.

In an interview with CBC Ottawa On the morning radio show Tuesday, Stubbs said he will meet with Parliament Hill officials to discuss how they will work together on security. Stubbs said that the Ottawa the police still have jurisdiction over Wellington Street and if any crime occurs, “it is our responsibility”.

A House of Commons committee recently recommended that jurisdiction over Wellington Street be transferred to the Parliamentary Protection Service, which is responsible for security on Parliament Hill.

In a supplemental report, the Liberals on the committee said they would support a transfer of land from the city of Ottawa to the federal government such that the area immediately south of Parliament Hill could be formally added to the precinct.

Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Center, said in a statement to The Canadian Press that he was pleased to see law enforcement address the issue early on.

Naqvi said he hopes the police can “replicate their success” in controlling other protest events since last winter, “instead of repeating what happened in February 2022.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 20, 2022.