Ottawa’s interim police chief promises to clear downtown of demonstrators

Ottawa’s interim police chief promises the force will take action to clear downtown Ottawa of demonstrators in the coming days.

Steve Bell told a city council meeting Wednesday that police have a plan and the resources to take back every occupied space in the capital city.

“We are going to remove this unlawful protest. We will return our city to a state of normalcy,” he said.

He says some of the methods police are ready to use are not what people are used to seeing in Ottawa but will be focused on the safety of the public, demonstrators and police.

“All of our plans and actions will be lawful and in line with the Charter,” said Bell. “It will take time to do this right. Every step will be considered and methodical. I ask for your patience and confidence.”

Bell added that the presence of children among the protesters is a concern, but there is a plan to deal with their safe removal.

“We have engaged a planning team and the Children’s Aid Society to encourage anyone with children in the area to leave and bring those children to a place of safety,” he said. “We also have a plan to ensure children are protected and cared for during any action.”

Police began taking steps towards clearing the convoy by officially serving notice to the demonstrators on Wednesday.

Officers walked through the protest zone handing out pages of the printed notice, which tells protesters they must clear the area immediately or face charges.

“Anyone blocking streets, or assisting others in the blocking streets, are committing a criminal offence and you may be arrested,” reads the notice. “You must immediately cease further unlawful activity or you will face charges.”

Here is the text of the notice being handed out to protesters in Ottawa #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/RBZ0uPuuxr

— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) February 16, 2022

Police issued an updated notice just before 5 p.m. which warned of “severe penalties” if demonstrators don’t leave. These include having vehicles and property seized, driver’s license suspensions, and CVOR certificats suspended or cancelled.

“Your personal or business bank accounts, including virtual currency, may be subject to examination and restriction,” read the statement.

As well, anyone bringing a minor to an “unlawful protest site” faces fines of up to $5,000 and a possible five year prison sentence.

Late Wednesday evening, city council ousted the chair of its police service board, Coun. Diane Deans, over concerns about a lack of effective oversight of the police service, which has faced heavy criticism for its inaction for the first three weeks of the demonstration.

They also took issue with the board’s decision to hire a new interim chief to bolster the top ranks of the service without consulting council and the public.

Members of the blockade that has kept the capital at a standstill since Jan. 28 have called the invocation of the Emergencies Act a scare tactic. The act means fines up to $5,000 could be levied to individuals participating in the protests directly, or bringing aid and supplies to those involved. Individuals can also face fines for bringing children to the demonstrations or blockades.

The government has until the end of day Thursday to table motions in the House of Commons on the specific powers in the act. Those powers are already in effect and will remain so for 30 days unless the government revokes them sooner.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh signalled his party will support the motion, calling the situation a crisis. The Liberals are 11 seats shy of a majority in the House of Commons and the motion could pass with the support of the NDP.

The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois say they will not support the motion.

Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen said Conservatives have many questions about Trudeau’s use of the legislation, which she called a “giant sledgehammer.”

Bergen was among the many Conservative MPs who welcomed the protesters to Ottawa when they first arrived. Now, she said keeping their trucks parked on Ottawa’s streets for days on end is illegal and they need to move.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said existing police powers should be enough to allow the Ottawa police and RCMP to clear the protesters from the area.

Trucks, RVs and other vehicles with Canadian flags or banners with the word “freedom” in giant letters along their front grilles remain on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, with drivers saying they will stay put until all COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions are lifted.

“They could be doing something now, eventually,” said Spencer Bautz from Saskatchewan, who has been on Parliament Hill for two weeks and found the letter from police stuffed in his vehicle door. He said demonstrators should not react with fear.

“It’d be pretty ridiculous if they actually want to take measures to enforce peaceful protests, man, that would be a big step.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked if he would need to use force to clear the protesters while he was on his way to caucus on Wednesday.

“No, I’m not going to be using force,” Trudeau said. “The decisions made will be by police doing their jobs the right possible way.”

Convoy protesters remain dug in in downtown Ottawa despite the Emergencies Act being invoked #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/wdScrWgCAR

— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) February 16, 2022

The RCMP and Ontario Provincial Police have taken control of the law enforcement in Ottawa after the resignation of the police chief and mounting criticisms of the local force’s handling of the situation.

Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly resigned from his position on Tuesday. Sloly had shouldered much of the blame for trucks being allowed to clog city streets, and officers not enforcing the law.

An Ontario judge granted an injunction on Monday to enforce noise and idling bylaws in Ottawa. City solicitor David White requested the injunction last week, saying the protesters were flagrantly violating bylaws against relentless noise, idling of trucks, setting off fireworks, and open-air fires.

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With files from CityNews reporter Cormac Mac Sweeney and the Canadian Press