Trucks and demonstrators associated with the "Freedom Convoy" protest against public health measures meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 will remain in the capital for another day, though police say the size of the demonstration is starting to shrink.
Many heavy trucks and other vehicles remained parked on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill Monday, as MPs returned for Question Period, but Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly says several demonstrators who were in the city over the weekend have left.
"The situation of the demonstration has scaled down over the last 12 hours," Sloly said at a news conference Monday afternoon. "We want that trend to continue until this demonstration comes to a complete end. I cannot guarantee you that right now but I can guarantee that every effort at negotiation, coordination, de-escalation, has continued throughout the last four days and will continue until the complete end of this demonstration."
Organizers of the demonstration did not appear to have an itinerary for events on Tuesday.
Many downtown city services will remain closed because of the ongoing demonstration, including Ottawa City Hall and its underground parking garage, the Rink of Dreams, and the Ottawa Public Library’s Main and Rideau branches and the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Minto Sports Complex at the University of Ottawa.
The city also says St. Luke’s Child Care Centre and Centre éducatif Pinocchio will remain closed; however, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board says Centennial Public School, which was closed on Monday due to the protest, will be open Tuesday.
The Rideau Centre will also remain closed, marking a third full day of closures for the busy downtown shopping mall.
The city is warning of ongoing traffic impacts in the downtown core, but says services such as garbage collection and snow removal shoxjmtzywuld not be affected.
As demonstrations continue, traffic and transit impacts remain significant in downtown #Ottawa and the surrounding area.
Please avoid travel to this area, if possible.
For more traffic updates visit our online interactive traffic map: https://t.co/yQy1eYQxCC pic.twitter.com/SOnMYZxZgZ— City of Ottawa (@ottawacity) January 31, 2022
Sloly says "all options are on the table" when it comes to ending the demonstration and returning the city to a sense of normalcy. He also warned anyone engaging in criminal activity that they will be prosecuted, even if it isn’t immediately.
“No matter where you live, no matter where your vehicle’s registered, if you’ve come here and committed a crime, if you have committed a hate crime, you will be investigated,” Sloly said. “We will look for you, we will charge you, if necessary we will arrest you, and we will pursue prosecutions against you."
The Ottawa Police Service says it will be setting up a dedicated hotline to report any criminal activity related to the demonstration. So far, 12 active investigations are underway into various allegations, including bribery, threats, assault and dangerous driving.
RELATED IMAGESview larger image
A man who removed the tires from a pickup truck stands in front of West Block on Parliament Hill as a rally against COVID-19 restrictions, which began as a cross-country convoy protesting a federal vaccine mandate for truckers, continues in Ottawa, on Monday, January 31, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle
