Police clear Ottawa of protesters, vehicles during tumultuous weekend
By Sunday night, the remaining trucks involved in the occupation of downtown Ottawa were towed away, and the leaders of the ‘Freedom Convoy’ had mostly been rounded up and arrested.
As of Monday morning, lead fundraiser and organizer Tamara Lich remained behind bars, and will stay there until hearing Tuesday morning whether or not she’ll be granted bail. The same was true for organizer Pat King.
Chris Barber, the trucker among the organizers, was released on $100,000 bond and told he must return home to Saskatchewan. His charges include: counselling to commit the offence of mischief; counselling to commit the offence of disobey court order; and counselling to commit the offence of obstruct police. He said after a night in jail that his “organizing days are over.”
Lich is being held on charges of counselling to commit the offence of mischief. She said during her bail hearing that she had little means to post bond, and returning home to Alberta would be difficult due to her unvaccinated status. However, her husband Dwayne, who was there as her potential surety, acknowledged he flew to Ottawa via private jet – paid for by a friend – on Feb. 2.
Some truckers over the weekend refused to leave and were physically removed from their trucks and charged. Others left when police closed in.
Protesters clashed with police throughout the weekend, as police methodically pushed back demonstrators and removed abandoned vehicles. The Special Investigations Unit has been called in to investigate two incidents between protesters and police: an interaction between a Toronto police officer on horseback with a 49-year-old woman resulting in injury; and the firing by Vancouver Police Department officers of non-lethal anti-riot weapon enfields (no injuries were reported).
Late Sunday afternoon, Ottawa police reported there had been a total of 191 arrests, 389 charges laid, and 79 vehicles towed.
Owners of those towed vehicles may not get them back, if Ottawa mayor Jim Watson has his way.
“We actually have the ability to confiscate those vehicles and sell them,” Watson was quoted by CBC as saying Saturday. “And I want to see them sold. I don’t want the return to these people who’ve been causing such frustration and angst in our community.”
He wants funds to go toward covering the costs incurred by the city throughout the occupation.
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Go for it.
If you look at the letter in the ottawa hill magazine 18 days ago talking about other issues or some of the fox news reports or freight waves article from queens Park. You will see that a lot of unhappy truck drivers about other issues, ( parking overtime pay use of P C to find safe parking low wages disabled truck drivers and vets end up in homeless shelters without proper food or proper medical supplies no internet or other supports including transportation for disabled in ont. This was a major factor for truck drivers and P S Ws here on work permits for a number of larger companies. For me and many other protesters it was about choice and the gov using their unlimited power against working people or disabled. The same methods were used to remove the protesters as people living in tents and homeless. Myself and a few others have asked for a permit to be set up so we can stay for 2 or 3 weeks in a city to be named later to push the issues of homeless or disabled truck drivers, vets and P S Ws. We seem to have some support from some auto workers to help fund the costs. Also I have a lot calls from truck drivers in the U S and parts of Europe and Hong Kong telling me that they will protest in support of us in the last 4 weeks after I went on radio across Canada and it was later replayed in Europe and Hong Kong. Many truck drivers and other more educated people are looking at not coming to Canada.
Trudeau really screwed this up, he is the one to blame by not taking a knee for these protesters and give them an ear. The protesters in Ottawa have brought important attention to the over reach of government, the impact simply supporting a cause financially can have. inaccurate reporting from government financed media. shameful.
I hope there will be ways in wich we can help these people that exposed the governments true colors.
I feel bad to say I’m Canadian for the first time in my 57years.I agree all trucks and cars should be sold including any commercial vehicle towed and money used for clean up and the rest divided up amongst the businesses of downtown and I hope any of the food confiscated from the headquarters was given to the food bank they assaulted what a disgrace on us as a country
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What about the low income disabled that were protesters I never seen any thing done for the single parents who were P SWs. We need too look at the industry and gov controls over disabled people.
Good on the demonstrators and their organisers to promote love and non violence
Where are the Trucks? If they go to the same Ontario Auction I sent mine to, the Auction house will change the name from yours on the Ownership, put it into their name, sell it and the OWNER, myself will never see the money, even TWO YEARS later!
I did my own DMV check, found what I needed, took it to the DRPS and now two years later am still waiting for my money. Covid they said prevented them from investigating further and then the Officer who had the info, retired.
Both my Accountant and I want to know where the money is.
Blair says the job is not done yet the Liberals will torture every more yet
Lets see, seizing bank accounts and assets of people who made donations, seizing vehicles and bank accounts of those that attended, and shutting down and seizing bank accounts of tow businesses that refused to get involved.
Explain to me again how we are not in a communist country?
You have all your rights and freedom of speech…..as long as you have the same agenda as trudeau and the liberal party. Ya, no communism here.
There, posted my name so the gov can track and punish me for spreading right wing opinion. LOL
Refuse all loads destined for Ottawa. Let them eat cake!