OTTAWA—Police began issuing arrest notices on Feb. 16 to protesters in the downtown area of the Canadian capital that has been occupied by the Freedom Convoy for more than two weeks.
Officers in yellow vests with “police liaison” printed on them walked through the peaceful protest encampment handing out the warnings. If no one answered knocks on truck or campervan doors they placed them on the door handles, or under windscreen wipers.
Headlined “Notice to Demonstrators” the handout told people:
“You must leave the area now.
“Anyone blocking streets, or assisting others in the blocking streets, are committing a criminal offence and you may be arrested.
“You must immediately cease further unlawful activity or you will face charges.”
Police said those arrested might be released on bail “depending on factors contained in Part XVI of the Criminal Code.”
The reasons given included that the people of Ottawa were being denied the lawful use, enjoyment, and operation of their property—“and you are causing businesses to close. That is mischief under the Criminal Code.”
Police warned that charges or convictions related to the demonstration may lead to denial in crossing the United States border, putting many truck drivers’ livelihoods in jeopardy.
In addition, the notice stated, “Anyone who commits these illegal actions could face fines, or be required to appear in court.
“Commercial vehicle drivers’ licenses and private drivers’ licenses can be suspended or revoked.”
The reaction from protesters was that they seemed to be underwhelmed by the threats—as many of the pieces of paper were immediately crumpled up and tossed away.
The notice was not the only move made by authorities against the protestors.
With an estimated one in four of the 500 or so trucks and vehicles in the occupied zone containing at least one child, the emergency act—just declared by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government—has made it illegal for children to be there.
Protesting parents could be hit by fines of up to $5000 for having their kids with them.
Canada’s Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino made the guns allegation on Feb. 16 without offering evidence linking a recent seizure of weapons in Alberta by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers to the Freedom Convoy.
The RCMP said on Feb. 14 that 13 people had been arrested and weapons seized at the Coutts border protest.
“Several individuals at Coutts have strong ties to a far-right extreme organization with leaders who are in Ottawa," Mendicino said. “We are talking about a group that is organized, agile, knowledgeable, and driven by an extremist ideology.”
But a street captain with the truckers rejected the minister’s claims outright.
David Paisley said, “that sounds like fearmongering and that the government is getting really desperate to discredit us.”
“We’ve been very peaceful and are cooperating with the city,” Paisley said.
“The government is starting to play dirty.”
Paisley represents a number of trucks on Wellington St.
He said that nobody in the protesting groups wanted violence and added, “if I knew of it I would be shouting it from the rooftops. We’d be the first to deal with it.”
