‘Rolling Thunder’ Protesters Seek to ‘Take Back’ War Memorial After ‘Freedom Convoy’

OTTAWA – Former “Freedom Convoy” protesters vowed to take back the National War Memorial with a ceremony at the cenotaph on Saturday, marking the first in a series of rallies expected to clog the nation’s capital over the weekend.

Speakers recounted how police cleared protesters from the area after their three-week demonstration on Parliament Hill, as hundreds of supporters gathered around the monument to listen.

As hundreds of protesters gathered at the monument that became a focal point during the early days of the protests that effectively shut down downtown Ottawa for weeks in February, speakers recounted how they were removed from the scene by police in that moment.

Supporters watched retired Afghanistan veteran Christopher Deering lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in a quasi-remembrance ceremony.

Deering said he was detained by police as part of their effort to remove “Freedom Convoy” protesters from the core in February.

“Afterwards, I and other peaceful citizens were thrown out of town like trash and told not to go back to our nation’s capital,” Deering told the crowd on Saturday.

The group also objected to police erecting a fence around the monument in February after a woman desecrated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by standing on it during the Freedom Convoy protest. Protest members who identified themselves as veterans later dismantled the fence and took it upon themselves to protect the grave.

Speakers at the event also voiced opposition to vaccine mandates, COVID-19 restrictions and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s rule, though supporters were asked to remove expletive slogans directed at the prime minister for the event.

The ceremony was part of the “Rolling Thunder” rally, which was initially unclear about its purpose in Ottawa, except to say it was organized to “peacefully celebrate our freedom.”

At the ceremony, most raised their hands when a speaker asked who was at the convoy protest in February.

That protest lasted three weeks, as big rigs and other lorries barricaded themselves in front of Parliament Hill and set up camps blocking traffic.

Officials described downtown Ottawa falling into a state of lawlessness during the convoy protest, with the federal government invoking the Emergencies Act in an effort to evict them and similar protesters who blocked border crossings.

Eventually, with the help of hundreds of police officers from other parts of the country, the Ottawa police removed them from the streets of the capital.

A similar police scene unfolded Friday night as a convoy of large trucks, caravans and other trucks tried to reach Parliament Hill. Police formed a line, wearing helmets and shields, to push back protesters and remove large vehicles from an area just east of the parliamentary compound.

Seven people were arrested on various charges, including assaulting police, the Ottawa Police Service said. At least one truck also had its windows broken. The force said Saturday that it had towed 24 vehicles since the night before.

Shortly before Saturday’s ceremony, a small group of counter-protesters gathered across the street from the monument chanting “go home” to express that protesters were not welcome in the city.

Police formed a line between the two groups to keep the peace.

“The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is not an appropriate place to express partisan political views, it’s just wrong. It’s not what we stand for,” counter-protester Chris Anderson said in an interview. Anderson said he was a veteran himself, having served seven years as a medical worker.

“In a way, to me, they’re poisoning the monument,” said Anderson, who wore a rainbow T-shirt in support of some of the city’s residents who felt unsafe because of the demonstrations.

After the ceremony, the crowd moved south to Elgin Street to watch a motorcycle parade pass by as police kept people off the road. Police arrested someone in the area for violating release conditions related to their arrest during the Freedom Convoy, which stipulated that they were not allowed to return to Ottawa.

Initially, the motorcycles had planned to drive down Parliament Hill and park near the war memorial, but police banned vehicles from the area.

“Police will maintain a strong presence throughout the city center,” the local force said in a Twitter message on Saturday morning. “The cranes are part of the deployment plan. All appropriate execution options will be used.”

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said police are taking “a tough stance” to prevent the kind of protracted demonstration that gripped Ottawa in February. It is a first step in restoring confidence in the force, which has faced strong criticism for allowing the demonstration to go on for so long, he said.

“Obviously what happened in February caused a lot of damage to a lot of people,” Watson said.

The protest is expected to continue with another rally on Parliament Hill on Saturday afternoon, featuring controversial speaker Chris Sky, whose real name is Chris Saccoccia.

Sky, a figure in the anti-mask movement, has been observed making anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and racist comments, according to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.

Rolling Thunder organizer Neil Sheard has distanced himself from that rally, which is organized by partner organization Freedom Fighters Canada but appears on Rolling Thunder’s itinerary.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on April 30, 2022.

– With archives of Sarah Smellie at St. John’s