Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says downtown Ottawa is "out of control" as the trucker convoy protest and occupation is now in its 10th day.
Hundreds of trucks remain parked on Parliament Hill and through the Parliamentary Precinct this morning. Police and city officials are urging people to avoid the downtown core, and warn roads and interprovincial bridges could be closed again today to slow the flow of vehicles into the downtown core.
Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Sunday morning, Watson said it’s apparent the protesters have taken over the core.
"The situation at this point is completely out of control because the individuals with the protest are calling the shots," Watson said. "They have far more people than we have police officers and I’ve indicated to the chief that we have to be much more nimble and proactive when it comes to these activities."
Watson mentioned the wooden structure protesters built at Confederation Park, which has become a "community kitchen." He said more should have been done to stop that sooner.
"Now, it’s become a rallying point, where there’s so many people there. How do we go in and enforce the laws and the NCC’s property rights?"
On Saturday, Ottawa’s police chief admitted the force doesn’t have enough resources to address the situation.
“We do not have sufficient resources to adequately and effectively address this situation while adequately and effectively providing policing in this city," said Chief Peter Sloly during a special Ottawa Police Services Board meeting.
On Saturday, an estimated 5,000 people and 1,000 tractor trailers and personal vehicles filled downtown Ottawa to join the protest. Hundreds of people attended a counter-protest at Ottawa City Hall, calling for an end to the demonstration.
"This is a siege. It is a something that is different in our democracy than something I’ve ever experienced in my life," said Sloly.
"It’s not a demonstration, it’s not an occupation, it’s something and we don’t have a Police Act that can adequately or effectively address this circumstance."
The chief told the board that all active Ottawa police officers are on duty, and most officers are working 12-hour and 14-hour shifts.
The Ottawa Police Services Board approved the deployment of 257 RCMP officers to further assist with the enforcement of the demonstration. Officers from the OPP and municipal police forces in London, Toronto, York, Cornwall and Sudbury have been deployed to Ottawa to assist with policing.
Acting Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson outlined the staffing deployed to police the city and the protest zone.
"It takes us about 495 officers for a 24-hour cycle to staff this right now," said Ferguson.
Normally, Ottawa police have 478 frontline officers.
"For the city itself, for a 24-hour period we have on average 150 officers – just to cover what we need across from Cumberland to Arnprior," said Ferguson.
For the "footprint" Ottawa police need to hold during the demonstration, Ferguson says they need 225 officers for traffic patrol downtown.
"Finally, for the surge that we announced on Friday morning, it’s 120 officers over a 24-hour period."
Organizers of the demonstration say they plan to hold a press conference this afternoon.
ENFORCEMENT
Ottawa police announced 70 traffic violation tickets have been issued so far in the ‘Red Zone’ around Parliament Hill.
Ottawa Bylaw issued 357 tickets within the protest zone Friday night and Saturday for violations.
Police say they have responded to 400 calls for service in relation to the demonstration.
"In total over 50 criminal offences are being investigated – 11 of those were hate crimes which resulted in charges against four people," said police, adding seven people have been arrested.
ROADS
Concrete barriers and heavy equipment barricades remain in place throughout Centretown, Lowertown, ByWard Market, Sandy Hill and the Glebe.
Several roads in the downtown core are closed from Rideau Street to Bay Street and Wellington Street to Albert Street.
Police warn the following off-ramps on Highway 417 may be temporarily closed:
- Nicholas / Mann (Westbound & Eastbound)
- Metcalfe (Westbound & Eastbound)
- Bronson (Westbound)
- Parkdale (Westbound & Eastbound)
- Island Park (Westbound)
- Kent (Eastbound)
- Vanier (Eastbound)
- St. Laurent (Eastbound)
- Pinecrest Road (Eastbound)
- Montreal Road (Eastbound & Westbound)
- Woodroffe Avenue (Eastbound & Westbound)
- Aviation Parkway (Westbound)
- Walkley Road (Westbound)
Mayor, councillor call on the federal government to step in
As the protest continues for a second weekend, Mayor Jim Watson is looking to the federal government for more help to end the protest.
"The federal government has an important role," said Watson during an interview on CTV News at Six. "They’re going to have to sit down and have some kind of a discussion, some kind of mediation to get this situation resolved because it’s now spreading across the country."
Watson says he spoke with Premier Doug Ford on Friday and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino on Thursday to secure additional OPP and RCMP officers to assist Ottawa police.
The mayor also commented on the bouncy castles and saunas being set up in downtown Ottawa and at the Ottawa Baseball Stadium.
"It’s disturbing when you see the protest turning into what looks like some kind of fun carnival, where they’ve got bouncy castles and hot tubs and saunas," said Watson. "A complete insult to the people who are putting up with this nonsense for the last seven days and it shows a great deal of insensitivity."
Councillor Catherine McKenney, who represents part of the area affected by the demonstration, called on the prime minister to intervene.
"Dear Justin Trudeau please do something. You have a responsibility to protect your Capital. We are under siege. Day 9," they tweeted, while quoting a video of fireworks going off amid densely packed buildings in the downtown core.
In addition to the horns, demonstrators have been lighting off fireworks at night, prompting concern from some residents about the proximity to residential high-rises, as well as the fuel cannisters strewn about the area.
Last week, McKenney wrote a letter to the prime minister, calling on the federal government and the RCMP to assume full operational control of Parliament Hill and the Parliamentary Precinct.
xjmtzywRCGT Park
CTV News Ottawa’s Jeremie Charron reported Saturday that the Ottawa Baseball Stadium now looks like a command centre for the "Freedom Convoy" demonstration. Several large tents are set up in the parking lot on Coventry Road, and approximately 100 vehicles were parked there on Saturday.
"The initial plan was to keep those trucks there because they couldn’t fit into the downtown," said Watson.
"What is an error is we should have had some control at the gate. They shouldn’t be bringing in hot tubs, they shouldn’t be bringing in bouncy castles – that’s just ridiculous."
Saunas were set up at RCGT Park this week.
Coun. Rawlson King said during Saturday’s special Ottawa Police Services Board meeting that the initial plan was to divert trucks away from the core, but it has now turned into a "staging area." King asked police what the plan was to deal with the park.
"We have been working with people at that site, and I say with people at that site they have been to a point cooperative, but we do recognize that has now become a staging area and a refuelling area for them," said Acting Deputy Chief Ferguson.
"So we are looking at addressing."
Ferguson said police are working with Ottawa Fire to see "what avenues are available to us to enforce the laws and to make sure that’s rendered safe."
RELATED IMAGESview larger image
A protestor walks around parked vehicles in front of Parliament hill, in Ottawa, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
