With the country heading into two straight weeks of Freedom Convoy demonstrations, police attempted to strengthen their message Wednesday with officers coming face-to-face with protesters in Alberta and issuing renewed warnings to those in Ottawa.
The Ottawa Police Service issued a notice to protesters, saying they may arrest those blocking streets in the downtown core and seize vehicles.
Protesters and supporters of the Freedom Convoy have amassed in the city’s downtown over the last thirteen days, calling for an end to vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions.
The movement has made headlines around the world and sparked similar protests across Canada and in other countries.
Despite calls for them to leave and a temporary court injunction against the convoy’s excessive noise, demonstrators remain committed with one organizer saying that "morale on the ground" in Ottawa has not changed and truckers encamped are "upbeat."
In the border town of Coutts, Alta., where truck drivers and others have set up a blockade in support of the Ottawa convoy, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was met with anger and chants of "Hell no, we won’t go" as officers attempted to persuade protesters to move elsewhere.
Two blockades are in place — an original one immediately north of the border crossing and another near Milk River about 15 kilometres north of Coutts.
Police are asking protesters at the second protest site to move to an area off the highway north of Milk River, citing safety concerns. Officers have started issuing tickets.
"Really it’s going to be up to them," RCMP Supt. Roberta McKale told reporters.
"Up until this point it’s been us asking them and this afternoon we don’t have an option, we’re going to have to use our enforcement options to have that happen."
Another blockade on the Canadian side of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., which connects Canada to the U.S. through Detroit, began on Monday.
The continued blockade on the bridge, the busiest international border crossing in North America, has prompted the City of Windsor and local police service to request provincial and federal assistance.
"We are striving to resolve this issue safely and peacefully," Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said, while adding, "make no mistake, our community will not tolerate this level of disruption for long."
In a statement on Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford said he spoke to Dilkens, as well as Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, and called for the "ongoing illegal occupation and blockade" to stop.
"The Ambassador Bridge is one of the most vital trade corridors in our country," he said.
"The damage this is causing to our economy, to people’s jobs and their livelihoods is totally unacceptable. We cannot let this continue."
Dozens of trade organizations have called for a "swift and immediate clearing" of the blockade, with Stellantis confirming it cut short the bulk of its shifts at its Windsor assembly plant Tuesday due to parts shortages, a move that affected thousands of workers. The facility resumed production again Wednesday morning.
Ongoing demonstrations in other communities have also prompted additional responses from police and governments.
Toronto police say they will close Queen’s Park Circle after social media posts claimed there would be a potential demonstration involving "a large number of vehicles."
In a series of tweets, the Manitoba RCMP said it would not tolerate any blocking of roads or highways that lead to hospitals after a convoy delayed a man trying to drive his 82-year-old sister to an emergency department.
The New Brunswick government, meanwhile, announced it would amend its Emergency Act in order to ban the blocking of normal traffic flows on roads and highways. This comes amid a planned convoy in the provincial capital of Fredericton this weekend.
The move also would prohibit deliveries of fuel, food, drinks or other supplies to anyone attempting to interrupt traffic. Fines can range from $3,000 to $10,000 per offence and up to between $20,000 and $100,000 for corporations.
OTTAWA REMAINS UNDER STATE OF EMERGENCY
Ottawa Police Service Deputy Chief Steve Bell described the city’s remaining protesters as "highly determined and volatile," and said they have attempted to subvert police efforts.
Police say they have made 22 arrests, issued more than 1,300 tickets and have 79 ongoing criminal investigations, as of Tuesday, with officers also seizing fuel and cutting off financial and logistical support to the protest.
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In a message addressed to protesters on Wednesday, the Ottawa Police Service said the "unlawful" act of blocking streets in the downtown is denying people the "lawful use, enjoyment and operation of their property," describing the act as mischief to property.
"We are providing you notice that anyone blocking streets or assisting others in the block of streets may be committing a criminal offence," the statement said.
"You must immediately cease further unlawful activity or you may face charges. You could be arrested without a warrant for this offence if you are a party to the offence or assisting others in the direct or indirect commission in this offence."
A conviction could result in the forfeit of seized vehicles, police warned, as well as denied entry into the United States.
Bell said police intelligence had determined that nearly 25 per cent of the trucks encamped on Ottawa streets have children living in them who "could be at risk in a police operation."
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa said the organization will work closely with Ottawa police to monitor the demonstration and will respond to any concerns.
The City of Ottawa is also increasing the fines for idling, noise and open fires in relation to the truckers in the "red zone" of the protest in the downtown core to $1,000 each. They were previously $100, $495 and $100 respectively.
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Despite police efforts, protesters have been seen openly carrying fuel into the downtown core to refuel their trucks and vehicles without being stopped or having their fuel seized. Some protesters have been seen drinking water out of jerry cans in a snub to officers’ orders.
The city has asked the federal government and the province for 1,800 more police officers and other personnel to support its efforts to end the blockade as soon as possible. As of Tuesday, there had been no confirmation from either level of government on whether it would provide these reinforcements.
On Monday, an Ontario Superior Court judge granted a 10-day injunction ordering truckers to stop honking their horns, which prior to that had increasingly frustrated many downtown residents.
Paul Champ, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs involved in a proposed class-action lawsuit that sought the injunction, wrote on Twitter Wednesday that his law firm is not distributing a form to join the suit.
"We believe this is being done by those associated with the protest to collect personal information. Dirty tricks," he said.
Speaking at a news conference organized by People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier, a staunch supporter of the protests, independent Ontario MPP Randy Hillier said demonstrators in Ottawa have another weekend of "fun-filled festivities" planned for this Saturday.
BLOCKADES AT BORDERS CONTINUE
Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk spoke to reporters on his way in to the Liberal caucus meeting in West Block Wednesday morning about the blockade.
"I can tell you that these protesters blockading the Ambassador Bridge — $400 million worth of goods crossing it every day — is tantamount to standing on the windpipe of our commuxjmtzywnity. We’re talking jobs lost, we’re talking plants closed, we’re talking produce from farmers that can’t get to market," he said. "The protesters need to go home."
Speaking to reporters in the West Block on Wednesday, Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman said the blockade is illegal and needs to move.
"We can’t have them blocking critical infrastructure," she said. "That said, this is a matter for law authorities. Governments don’t tell them what to do but I think we need a plan from the prime minister on how to end this."
Flavio Volpe, the president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association, said on CTV News Channel Wednesday that the longer the blockade continues at the Ambassador Bridge, more of the thousands of Canadian automotive workers will be on temporary layoff.
"If you’re looking to espouse [and get] people to join your cause, first of all — articulate your cause," Volpe said. "Try not to make them stay home from work unpaid — that’s step one in not losing the plot."
Volpe said that the demonstrators’ rights to protest should not supersede others’ rights to make a living.
FREEDOM CONVOY
At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, convoy organizers Tamara Lich and BJ Dichter alongside their legal counsel Keith Wilson provided an update on the demonstration.
CTV News was not invited to attend and was turned away at the door. However, the press conference was monitored via social media.
"People are happy, seeing the results of change … we know it all has something to do with truckers," said Dichter, referring to the recent decisions of Alberta and Saskatchewan to lift some COVID-19 related restrictions.
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Dichter, who described himself as vice-president of the convoy, spoke directly to members of the Liberal caucus, referencing Trudeau’s blackface scandal and asking "is this what you signed up for, did you sign up to be an embarrassment to the whole world?"
Lawyer Keith Wilson provided details to what he said transpired inside Monday’s court hearing regarding the injunction to stop the incessant honking.
Wilson claimed that the truckers had agreed to stop using their horns as an "olive branch" to Ottawa residents prior to the injunction being granted and did so because "it was time to stop using the horns," attributing the decision to their goodwill instead of the threat of legal enforcement.
Dichter then spoke out about the fundraising platform GoFundMe, which removed the convoy’s fundraiser after it raised more than $10 million for violating their terms of service. He categorized this as theft.
"GoFundMe stole our money, sorry, your money," Dichter said, adding a "God bless" to U.S. Republican politicians Ted Cruz and Ron DeSantis for allegedly putting pressure on the platform.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined calls to investigate GoFundMe, stating Wednesday he would look at the company’s potential violations of the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Dichter claimed that all press and coverage about the convoy that is negative is being funneled into a central database and that further donations to the convoy, especially in Bitcoin, will be used as a "war chest" to be used by the organizers to get "very aggressive" with the media and individuals they deem as attacking or smearing them.
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A protester walks along the sidewalk in front of the Parliament buildings, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022 in Ottawa. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
