Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said early during the trucker-led Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa that talking would not resolve it and he feared an “armed insurrection,” according to handwritten notes from his deputy chief of staff.
“PM: No. No to changing government policy. Their goal is to disrupt and undermine govt institutions,” read the notes of Brian Clow entered as evidence at the Emergencies Act inquiry on Nov. 10.
“Talking, sure, but this doesn’t get resolved this way. They can’t undermine democracy by terrorizing populations. This is bigger than neighbourhoods in Ottawa.”
“Really worries me” was then written in quotation marks, likely to signify it was said verbatim by Trudeau.
The notes appear to be from a Feb. 3 meeting attended by Trudeau, the “Clerk” (likely the Clerk of the Privy Council), and National Security and Intelligence Adviser Jody Thomas.
Much of the notes have been redacted, with the only passages not redacted before Trudeau made his comments being attributed to Thomas.
“Situation hasn’t changed,” “Known QAnon agitator has arrived. Structures being built,” Thomas reportedly said.
“Organizers held presser: no longer govt overthrow; now want end to mandates,” say Clow’s notes reporting on comments made by Thomas.
‘Armed Insurrection’
Responding to Trudeau being worried, the clerk said he had spoken to his counterpart in Ontario, Michelle DiEmanuele.DiEmanuele reportedly said Ontario had “‘no plan.’ Don’t know quite what they will do.”
“She’s willing to be helpful. Asked if anything Premier can do?” say the notes.
“What have you got to trade with them? What have you got to offer” the notes then said, with no indication which of the two is asking the questions or who “them” is.
Trudeau answered that more trucks and “gas” shouldn’t be allowed in Ottawa, according to the notes.
“They can’t barricade our capital city. If Ottawa police is overwhelmed, what do we have?”
“If we’re afraid of violence, then we’re talking armed insurrection,” Trudeau said.
No ‘Overriding Public Safety Concerns’
The Public Order Emergency Commission, currently in its public hearings phase, has had witnesses so far that have painted the events in a different light.He said he was getting “consistent messaging” from Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique and from then-deputy minister of Public Safety Rob Stewart that there weren’t “any overriding public safety concerns.”
The idea that protesters wanted to “overthrow” the government seems to stem from the memorandum of understanding (MOU) written by trucker James Bauder, who wished to make a deal with senators and the governor general to repeal COVID-19 mandates.
