The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said on Jan. 26 that it was being targeted by a “disinformation campaign” by detractors of the Freedom Convoy and also threatened with violence, an internal email reveals.
Then-OPS chief Peter Sloly wrote to his team that there was information from his organization’s corporate communications and the Ottawa Police Association (OPA) that “there is a disinformation campaign from the counter demonstration element targeting OPS and OPA as being complicit in support of the trucker demonstration.”
The email was entered as evidence before the Public Order Emergency Commission on Oct. 24.
The commission is examining the Liberal government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 to clear cross-border protests and blockades demanding the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
Aside from the campaign targeting police elements, Sloly also reported in his email on a threat made against the OPS from a convoy detractor.
Intelligence
Sloly relayed the account as part of a series of points he raised internally in reaction to an email from an Ottawa resident expressing concern about the convoy.The resident’s email, sent to both Sloly and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, alleged that the convoy will be violent, while Sloly said intelligence they had received so far didn’t indicate there would be violence on the part of the convoy.
“I lay awake tonight as I read Twitter posts from the Extreme right vowing attacks on Rideau Hall this weekend,” says the email from the sender whose name was redacted.
“Some are calling for action akin to the happenings in Washington on Capitol Hill,” the email added, in reference to the Jan. 6, 2021, events.
Based on that email, Sloly asked his team to review all available information given that a briefing note the day prior had indicated there was no intelligence indicating the Freedom Convoy demonstration would be violent.
The emails were presented to OPS Deputy Chief Steve Bell as he was testifying before the commission. Bell became acting chief when Sloly resigned on Feb. 15.
Bell said the information about a threat to Rideau Hall was assessed by the Joint Intelligence Group which includes the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP.
“This was information that was taken in, assessed, evaluated, and put towards our threat assessment, and ultimately this didn’t bear to be accurate. There was no threats made against Rideau Hall.”
Bell was in charge of intelligence with the OPS before the Freedom Convoy arrived in Ottawa on Jan. 28.
While appearing before the commission, he defended the OPS’ assessment that the protest would not stretch much beyond the initial weekend.
