OPP, RCMP take control of enforcement for Ottawa protests
Posted February 15, 2022 2:01 pm.
Last Updated February 15, 2022 1:16 pm.
The RCMP and Ontario Provincial Police have taken control of enforcement in Ottawa amid sustained criticism of the local force’s handling of a chaotic anti-government protest, while the city’s chief of police has resigned from the role.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says an integrated command centre has been set up so the RCMP and OPP can share and assume command over the enforcement necessary to bring about public order in Ottawa.
Mendicino’s announcement Tuesday came hours after the news that Peter Sloly had abruptly resigned as Ottawa police chief, while the protest that has paralyzed the downtown core stretches into its third week.
The minister says the federal government’s focus is ensuring the Ottawa police, as well as the RCMP and OPP, have all the tools necessary to restore public order in the city.
Related: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invokes Emergencies Act against convoy protests
Authorities are now figuring out how best to use new powers. granted through the Emergencies Act invoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, to help remove scores of protest trucks that have clogged the city’s downtown for more than two weeks.
The Ottawa police have been criticized for their response to the protest that has sparked a highly critical backlash from residents fed up with what many call an occupation.
