Chief Peter Sloly said the police intend to step up enforcement and will pursue criminal charges against participants who broke the law
Author of the article:Ryan Tumilty
Publishing date:Feb 02, 2022
Trucks block Wellington Street in Ottawa as a protest against COVID restrictions hits its sixth day, February 2, 2022.
PHOTO BY TONY CALDWELL/POSTMEDIA
OTTAWA – Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said the city has considered all options to end a now six-day protest that has clogged streets around Parliament Hill including using the military, as more protesters are expected to descend on the city this weekend.
What began as a convoy of truckers protesting a vaccine mandate for cross-border travel has become a broader protest against all COVID restrictions, including mask mandates and lockdowns.
OTTAWA – Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said the city has considered all options to end a now six-day protest that has clogged streets around Parliament Hill including using the military, as more protesters are expected to descend on the city this weekend.
What began as a convoy of truckers protesting a vaccine mandate for cross-border travel has become a broader protest against all COVID restrictions, including mask mandates and lockdowns.
Sloly said his officers are fatigued and stretched after days of policing the protest that has come with major disruptions.
“The range of illegal, dangerous and unacceptable activities is beyond the ability to list and the time that we have there today,” he told a meeting of city councillors.
He said the police intend to step up enforcement and will pursue criminal charges against participants who broke the law. The number of trucks on Ottawa streets thinned somewhat on Wednesday, but they’re still enough to blockade several streets in the downtown core and close some of the interprovincial bridges.
The city’s downtown mall, the Rideau Centre with nearly 200 stores, has been closed since Saturday and announced it intends to stay that way until at least Sunday. Dozens of other downtown businesses have also been closed since the convoy’s arrival and residents have complained about harassment from protesters.
Premier asks protesters to 'let the people of Ottawa live their lives'
Remaining protesters say they will not leave until all COVID restrictions are lifted
Sloly said the police expect more demonstrators to return to the city over the weekend and that a core group are essentially occupying the city. He said they’re negotiating with some groups, but other participants in the event have shown no interest in talking to police about reducing the impact of their demonstration on residents.
“The more this demonstration continues, the more the risk to public safety increases. Every option is on the table to resolve this demonstration. That said, there may not be a policing solution to this demonstration.”
He said he was also watching the border blockade in Coutts, Alta., where a large group of truckers have cut off access to the United States.
RCMP moved in on that convoy on Tuesday, but had limited success in ending the blockade.
Ottawa residents and city councillors have complained the police aren’t doing enough to bring an end to the protest, while police have set up barricades to prevent vehicles from coming and going, protesters have been able to bring fuel to the semi-trucks parked around Parliament that are running 24 hours a day and sounding their horns at all hours.
Coun. Diane Deans, who is also the police board chair, apologized to residents for the ongoing disruption.
“I am sorry for the living hell that you are enduring,” she said. “We live in the nation’s capital, home of our democracy. We expect protests and demonstrations, but we don’t expect this.
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Trucks line Wellington Street in Ottawa as a protest against COVID restrictions hits its sixth day, February 2, 2022.
PHOTO BY TONY CALDWELL/POSTMEDIA
Sloly said the city has considered asking the military for help, but warned the military are not trained for policing and bringing them in would come with downsides.
“We’re looking at every single option, including military aid to civil power,” he said. “As I said before, every option is being looked at. None of the options create a beautiful, elegant, simple, safe solution. They all come with massive risks. That option in particular, would come with massive risks.”
Some of the protest leaders put out a news release on Wednesday. In it they said the only way to end the protest was for politicians to end all COVID-19 mandates.
“Our message to the citizens of Ottawa is one of empathy. We understand your frustration and genuinely wish there was another way for us to get our message across, but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians who have preferred to vilify and call us names rather than engage in respectful, serious dialogue,” said convoy leader Chris Barber. “The fastest way to get us out of the nation’s capital, is to call your elected representatives and end all C-19 mandates.”
Sloly said they have support and additional officers from several other police forces, including Toronto, Hamilton and York Region as well as the OPP and RCMP.
The Parliamentary Protective Service, which is overseen by the RCMP, manages security on Parliament Hill itself, but Ottawa Police have jurisdiction on the streets just off the hill. Sloly said the RCMP have offered more resources, but the Mounties have limits on the number of people they can bring as well.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said they’re working closely with the Ottawa police and he encouraged the protesters to go home.
“We’re doing everything we can to support Ottawa Police and as I say those lines of communication have been open. They are speaking every day. They’re speaking virtually every hour and they’re taking decisions on the ground operationally to ensure that there is community safety.”
• Email: rtumilty@postmedia.com | Twitter: ryantumilty
Sloly said the city has considered asking the military for help, but warned the military are not trained for policing and bringing them in would come with downsides.
“We’re looking at every single option, including military aid to civil power,” he said. “As I said before, every option is being looked at. None of the options create a beautiful, elegant, simple, safe solution. They all come with massive risks. That option in particular, would come with massive risks.”
Some of the protest leaders put out a news release on Wednesday. In it they said the only way to end the protest was for politicians to end all COVID-19 mandates.
“Our message to the citizens of Ottawa is one of empathy. We understand your frustration and genuinely wish there was another way for us to get our message across, but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians who have preferred to vilify and call us names rather than engage in respectful, serious dialogue,” said convoy leader Chris Barber. “The fastest way to get us out of the nation’s capital, is to call your elected representatives and end all C-19 mandates.”
Sloly said they have support and additional officers from several other police forces, including Toronto, Hamilton and York Region as well as the OPP and RCMP.
The Parliamentary Protective Service, which is overseen by the RCMP, manages security on Parliament Hill itself, but Ottawa Police have jurisdiction on the streets just off the hill. Sloly said the RCMP have offered more resources, but the Mounties have limits on the number of people they can bring as well.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said they’re working closely with the Ottawa police and he encouraged the protesters to go home.
“We’re doing everything we can to support Ottawa Police and as I say those lines of communication have been open. They are speaking every day. They’re speaking virtually every hour and they’re taking decisions on the ground operationally to ensure that there is community safety.”
• Email: rtumilty@postmedia.com | Twitter: ryantumilty
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