‘Rolling Thunder’ Day 3: Police investigate hate-motivated graffiti at bikers church

9 a.m.

Ottawa Police are investigating “hate-motivated mischief” after graffiti was scrawled on a church where a service is being held Sunday morning as part of the “Rolling Thunder” weekend.

The words “no haven for fascism” were painted on the front of the Capital City Bikers’ Church on Carillon Street in Vanier. Another message painted on the side of the church said “Fu** off fascists.”

The church service there Sunday was listed as the final scheduled event in the three-day “Rolling Thunder” in Ottawa this weekend.

“Rolling Thunder” featured a motorcycle ride and ceremony at the National War Memorial on Saturday and rallies on Parliament Hill both Friday night and Saturday afternoon to protest COVID-19 vaccines and public health measures that prevent the spread of the virus such as mandatory vaccine policies and mask wearing.

Ottawa Police said the “hate-motivated mischief” at the church was reported just before 7 a.m. on Sunday.

Live from the Shed, one of the organizers of the “Rolling Thunder” weekend, posted a video Sunday morning criticizing the vandalism.

Dave, the spokesperson behind Live from the Shed, said those who committed the vandalism is directly responsible, but he also blamed governments. “Governments have created an environment of hate and division where certain people are being categorized by our government, by our mainstream media, as dangerous,” he said in the video.

“It’s not like it’s directly the government’s fault, but they’ve created this climate where it’s OK to hate certain types of people. It’s OK to discriminate against certain types of people. When our government is saying that these people are chauvinists, that they’re racists, it creates justification for this kind of thing.”

The only hate-motivated crime reported during the “Rolling Thunder” weekend was against the bikers, he said.

The pastor and his wife at the Capital City Bikers Church were supportive of the “Freedom Convoy” protesters who demonstrated in Ottawa in January and February, occupying downtown streets for three weeks.

Last winter the church was a flashpoint of controversy in its Vanier neighbourhood because of its  staunch support for “Freedom Convoy” participants, offering them hot meals, a place to warm up and moral support.

In February, some Vanier residents who disapproved of the presence of Convoy protesters  posted pro-vaccine and anti-Convoy signs on a fence near the church. The church also received a more menacing sign on red paper that read: “A nest of Nazis. Burn it out.”

The church service, which started at 10:30 Sunday, was advertised by the Rolling Thunder organizers.

Ottawa Police said they shut down three off-ramps leading to the downtown on Saturday to help control crowds.

Three people were arrested on Saturday, Ottawa Police said in a release.

A woman was arrested for assaulting a police officer on Elgin Street midday.

A man was arrested Saturday afternoon for breaching conditions stemming from the “Freedom Convoy” occupation in February, said the release.

And a male driver was arrested after he rushed an OPP motorcycle at a checkpoint, said the release. That man was also on conditions stemming from the February occupation. He faces “several charges, including breaching release conditions, dangerous driving, refusal to provide a sample, assault on a peace officer and assault with a weapon,” said Ottawa Police.

In addition, one of the vehicles that had been towed away on Saturday tried to come back into the city, but was intercepted by police, said the statement. The vehicle was inspected by  Ministry of Transportation officials, deemed unsafe, and removed from the road, said the release.

 Ottawa Police also said late Saturday that several convoys and groups had been spotted outside Ottawa, but their intelligence indicated many convoys chose not to come into Ottawa, “based on the police operational posture.”

Police officers were out in force all weekend.

11 a.m.

Ottawa bylaw reports that since Friday, officers have issued 761 parking tickets, which would include infractions such as violating no stopping or no parking zones. A vehicle exclusion zone is in place downtown to control traffic during the Rolling Thunder events.

Since Friday, 39 vehicles have been towed, said Ottawa Bylaw in a post. On Friday night, a rowdy  crowd gathered near the corner of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive, some vehicles and motorcycles clogged the street and several vehicles were towed, including a trailer pulling an RV.

In addition, Ottawa Bylaw said 10 tickets have been issued during Rolling Thunder weekend for noise, smoking, public urination, encumbering highway and misuse of an accessible permit.

MORE COVERAGE OF THE ‘ROLLING THUNDER’  MOTORCYCLE CONVOY

Police outnumber bikers at ‘Rolling Thunder’ ceremony as speakers evoke memory of ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests

Chief says police operations will continue until all rally attendees have left

‘Rolling Thunder’ convoy: ‘We are not going to repeat what we saw in February,’ Watson commends police action

‘Rolling Thunder’ Day 2: Police still ‘closely monitoring’ protesters activity downtown in evening

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with files from Peter Hum