The ‘Rolling Thunder’ motorcycle convoy heads to Ottawa. Who are they and how is the city responding?

Hundreds of motorcycles are expected to arrive in the nation’s capital this weekend for what organizers say will be a peaceful celebration of freedom. The event, called Rolling Thunder Ottawa, raised concerns about a possible repeat of the trucker convoy protest that brought the city to a standstill for weeks earlier this year.

What is the purpose of Rolling Thunder?

In a statement posted on the event’s official website, organizer Neil Sheard says the group does not support blockades, obstruction of police duties, property damage, or hate and vitriol directed at Ottawa residents.

In a recent video posted on YouTube, Mr. Sheard, a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, said that veterans wanted to lay a wreath at the War Memorial in Ottawa after the monument was “desecrated” and a high fence. around him during the trucker convoy protest in February.

What groups participate in the demonstration?

While organizers haven’t stated the purpose of the biker rally, some of the groups associated with the event, including Freedom Fighters Canada, Veterans for Freedom and Live from the Shed, say they oppose government mandates.

On your website, Freedom Fighters Canada says it is a non-profit organization calling for “an end to all government mandates; the end of all tyrannical bills and legislation.” It also says that “our government has exceeded its limits, we are here to return them to their place.” The group also says that bikers come to Ottawa to “Peacefully celebrate our freedom.”

Veterans for Freedom says in its Web page which is made up of veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces from across the country and who seek to engage in “lawful civic action to restore the fundamental rights and freedoms of Canadians.”

Live from the Shed describes itself in Youtube as a platform to share “stories of truckers, volunteers, streamers and other heroes of the Freedom Convoy to Ottawa and the Canadian Freedom Movement in general”.

When will the Rolling Thunder event happen?

Ottawa police say they expect rally participants to arrive on Friday, with many of the main activities taking place on Saturday.

Acting Chief Steve Bell said the convoy, which could include as many as 400 motorcycles, will need to stay on a predetermined route that starts east of downtown Ottawa and heads toward downtown.

Chief Bell said there will be a heavy police presence, backed up by tow trucks and physical barriers, along the route. He said police have been in contact with the organizers of the rally, who have promised to leave the capital on Sunday.

Which roads in downtown Ottawa will be affected?

Police and the city have said no motor vehicle-based protests, rallies or events will be allowed in designated areas downtown, including near and around Parliament Hill and the National War Memorial.

“We have created an exclusion zone in the center of the city,” Chief Bell said Thursday.

He said that local residents, both pedestrians and cyclists, as well as public transport and commercial traffic will be able to enter the exclusion zone.

What happened to the trucker convoy in the winter?

The truck convoy arrived in the country’s capital in late January and blocked key streets in the city center for more than three weeks. It began as a demonstration against vaccination mandates, but soon turned into an anti-government protest, with participants calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign.

The convoy protest, which Ottawa police called an “occupation,” ended after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act. The law gave broad powers to the federal government to establish order during a crisis.

A massive police operation led to dozens of arrests and hundreds of charges against the organizers and participants of the convoy.

Ottawa city councilors and residents have raised concerns that this weekend’s demonstration could cause disruption similar to what the city experienced during the convoy protest.

What are the authorities saying about Rolling Thunder?

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says additional resources, including the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and local law enforcement officers, will help city police manage public safety during the rally.

“Our primary focus is public safety and ensuring the protest is peaceful, with minimal disruption to our residents and small businesses in the nation’s capital,” Mr. Watson said Thursday.

Meanwhile, the police warned that people facing charges in connection with the trucker convoy protest and ordered to stay away from Ottawa must abide by that condition. Anyone who joins this weekend’s biker rally, police said, will be arrested and charged.

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