Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announced late Thursday that the RCMP has approved all requests from the Ottawa Police Service to address the convoy that has taken over the city鈥檚 downtown core.
, Mendicino said that convoy has 鈥渃aused significant disruption鈥 to local residents and that the people of Ottawa are 鈥渆ntitled to expect that the law is upheld and enforced by police and that public safety is maintained.鈥
鈥淚 am able to confirm that the RCMP has approved all the additional resources that were requested, and they will be ready to assist the Ottawa Police Service, who are the police of jurisdiction,鈥 he tweeted.
鈥淭his request is in addition to RCMP resources and support already in place since the arrival of the convoy in Ottawa. It is important to underline that these are operational decisions taken by the police, independent of the government.鈥
Earlier Thursday, someof the main organizers for the 鈥淔reedom Convoy鈥 decried Thursday that they had been painted as 鈥渞acists, misogynists鈥nd even terrorists,鈥 and that no one from the federal or provincial government had met with them.
Tamara Lich, one of the leaders of the convoy, read a prepared statement 鈥渃alling on all levels of government to lift all COVID-19 restrictions and mandates,鈥 and vowed to stay on until there is a 鈥渟olid plan鈥 to see action on their demands.
Speaking at a press conference, Lich said lawyers for the convoy had sent GoFundMe 鈥渁ll the details they had asked for鈥 in regards to the money raised for the truckers' protest on the platform and how it would be dispersed.
鈥淲e want to thank the hundreds of residents of Ottawa who have stepped forward to show us support, provided accommodations, food and just plain friendship to members of our convoy,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his love of community is what Canada is all about.鈥
GoFundMe suspended the 鈥淔reedom Convoy鈥 fundraiser for the second time on Wednesday and it is now under review, according to a pinned post on the website.
The fundraiser had raised more than $10 million in pledges and $1 million was released to the organizers of the trucker convoy last week.
During an interview with CTVNewsChannel鈥檚 Power Play, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said he met with officials at GoFundMe on Thursday and suggested withholding the money until the truckers leave the city.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e doing a full review,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he whole thing is sketchy. This one woman is getting all money, how鈥檚 she distributing it? Where鈥檚 that money going to go?鈥
Also speaking at the press conference was Daniel Bulford, a former RCMP officer who quit over the service鈥檚 vaccine mandate. Bulford said he has seen truckers and supporters of the movement feeding the homeless, picking up trash on the streets, shovelling snow at and guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Terry Fox memorial statue.
Bulford said any safety issues brought to their attention have been forwarded to the Ottawa Police Service immediately.
Convoy lawyer Keith Wilson answered reporters' questions regarding the suspension of the convoy鈥檚 GoFundMe funds, saying the bulk of the money is still held by the fundraising platform, but that the group has taken 鈥渁ppropriate steps鈥 to ensure the legal and accounting boxes are checked, including audit procedures, and that they hope to open the flow of donations again soon.
The group did not answer reporters鈥 follow-up questions.
STOCKPILE OF FUEL 鈥楽TUPID,鈥 MAYOR SAYS
Horns could still be heard ringing through Ottawa鈥檚 downtown on Thursday, as some protesters were seen building wooden structures near Ottawa City Hall and stockpiling fuel.
the National Capital Commission, which is responsible for development of Canada's Capital Region, said it is 鈥渁ware of the situation鈥 and that 鈥渃anisters have been removed from the site,鈥 but a 麻豆影视 camera from the scene showed that the canisters had only been covered with a tarp.
Watson called the canisters and the structure 鈥渟tupid鈥 and 鈥渄angerous.鈥
鈥淭hat structure should be taken down,鈥 he said.
鈥淭hese individuals seem to not think beyond their nose. Putting those two volatile products side-by-side does not make any sense.鈥
Meanwhile, Ottawa is bracing for the upcoming weekend and the possibility of an influx of trucker convoy protesters as the demonstration enters another day in the nation鈥檚 capital.
Parts of Ottawa鈥檚 downtown core remain inaccessible to the public as a scaled-down, core group of protesters continue to occupy the areas surrounding Parliament Hill, with transport trucks and personal vehicles encamped on the streets.
Ottawa Police Service estimates the remaining group of protesters includes approximately 250 people.
In a statement issued Thursday, police said officers have issued 30 traffic tickets and charged one man criminally in relation to the protest.
鈥淧olice laid eight charges for unnecessary noise (honking horns), one for transporting dangerous goods (insecure fuel cans), one for improper muffler, four for disobeying signs, two for driving the wrong way in one way traffic, one unsafe lane change, one distracted driving, six speeding, one running a stop sign and five document offences,鈥 the statement said.
One driver was charged for allegedly driving while criminally prohibited, and had their vehicle impounded for 45 days..
NO PLANS TO CALL THE MILITARY: PM
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Thursday that he has no plans to call in the military to help Ottawa police contain or disperse the protest.
鈥淥ne has to be very, very cautious before deploying military in situations engaging Canadians,鈥 Trudeau said.
The protest has been a divisive issue on Parliament Hill, where Liberals and the NDP have condemned the demonstration.
In an internal email obtained by 麻豆影视,newly elected interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen told senior members of the party not to tell anyone involved with the trucker convoy to leave.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we should be asking them to go home,鈥 Bergen wrote in the email.
鈥淚 understand the mood may shift soon. So we need to turn this into the PMs problem. What will he take the first step to working toward ending this?鈥
Meanwhile, some Conservative MPs from Saskatchewan posed for a photo with members of the convoy on Wednesday night, which Watson called an 鈥渁bsolute disgrace.鈥
鈥淭o see these elected and appointed officials come and mug for the cameras and send out selfies is really the height of irresponsibility,鈥 he said in an interview with CTVNews Channel鈥檚 Power Play on Thursday.
鈥淥ur people in Ottawa deserve better, they deserve an apology from these characters that went out there and little regard for the stress and strain for the people in our neighbourhoods.鈥
OTHER CONVOYS COMING
A from Alexandria to Ottawa on Saturday in support of the truckers, according to a Facebook group with more than 1,900 followers.
Similar convoys are allegedly being planned this weekend in Toronto and Quebec City.
鈥淚 want to be absolutely clear, I support Toronto police taking necessary action to prepare for this possible protest with a focus on doing everything they can to protect the safety of Toronto residents and businesses,鈥
Tory is planning a public update on the planned convoy protest in Toronto on Friday.
At a Wednesday briefing, Ottawa Police Service Chief Peter Sloly said the situation is 鈥渋ntolerable鈥 and 鈥渦nprecedented,鈥 and that 鈥渁ll plans are on the table鈥 to remove the protest: from a court injunction, to calling in the RCMP, and potentially requesting the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
However, in a statement emailed to 麻豆影视 late Wednesday, a spokesperson for the minister of national defence said 鈥渢he Canadian Armed Forces are not involved in this situation, and there are no plans for such CAF involvement.鈥
The director of communications for the minister of public safety has said that 鈥渢he federal government has financial support available for the City of Ottawa in these types of situations through the Nation鈥檚 Capital Extraordinary Policing Costs Program.鈥
The program sets aside $15 million over five years to help cover policing costs incurred in the course of duties specific to Ottawa.
Deputy Chief Steve Bell said the remaining demonstrators were 鈥渉ighly volatile,鈥 signalling a shift away from initial 鈥渄emonstration-based activities.鈥
RESIDENTS REPORT HARASSMENT, THREATS
Residents of Ottawa fed up with the disruption have begun counter-protesting, aiming their frustration at the city, the police and the trucker convoy.
More serious reports of residents being harassed and threatened with rape and violence for wearing masks or being physically assaulted while walking in their neighbourhoods have caused uproar on social media and led to tense questions in Wednesday鈥檚 briefing between city councillors, the police and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.
The Cornerstone Emergency Shelter for Women outlining the trauma their clients and front-line support staff are facing due to the protest.
鈥淲omen and staff are scared to go outside of the shelter, especially women of colour, being able to go outside is the only reprieve many women experiencing homelessness have and they cannot even do that,鈥 the statement reads.
鈥淭he incessant honking and noise from the trucks have caused significant anxiety and distress for staff and shelter residents. Women have admitted themselves into hospital due to the increased trauma from the noise and fear.鈥
INDIGENOUS LEADERS DECRY 鈥業GNORANT ACTS鈥
On Wednesday, Chief Dylan Whiteduck posted a statement on Twitter on behalf of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and the Kigitgan Zibi Anishinabeg about the convoy and protest taking place in their traditional and unceded territory, calling it 鈥渦nacceptable.鈥
鈥淔or those who are participating in these actions, the Algonquin Nation does not support the set up of a teepee, the pipe ceremony and a sacred fire in Confederation Park in support of the 鈥淔reedom Convoy.鈥
There have been either claiming to be a part of a First Nation, wearing regalia and lending their support to the convoy, or using sacred items like drums and taking part in ceremonies that have caused significant backlash on social media.
The statement said the Algonquin Nation did not give consent for their ceremonial practices to be used and warns those actions could cause more harm to 鈥渨ho we are as First Nations [and] Algonquin People.鈥
The statement was echoed by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) on Thursday. They said the convoy is 鈥渁n insult to our Chiefs, our communities and to the hundreds of loved ones we鈥檝e lost through this pandemic.鈥
Citing the 鈥渋gnorant acts of cultural appropriation of First Nations culture and spirituality,鈥 the statement decried the disrespect of 鈥渢raditional drums, pipes and medicines鈥 used by protesters.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a disgrace to see our culturally sacred items being used improperly, without proper protocol, in support of anti-vaccine protests鈥 FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron said in the released statement. 鈥淭he FSIN condemns such open acts of racism and ignorance which are being committed across our traditional Treaty territories.鈥
Speaking on CTV鈥檚 Your Morning Thursday, Liberal MP Greg Fergus decried the hate symbols that have been on display throughout the protest.
鈥淚t is totally unacceptable to me, it was shocking, it was frightening to see people who would carry those symbols鈥e have to go beyond calling it a symbol,鈥 Fergus said. 鈥淭he swastika and the Confederate flag really represent probably two of the worst eras in human history -- how we killed people through state-sponsored terrorism, to really dominate one group of people over another 鈥 it鈥檚 an unacceptable demonstration of that symbol in a public space and on Parliament Hill.鈥
Fergus said that while he thinks it is a very small minority of protesters who carry and believe in those symbols, it 鈥渄isturbed鈥 him that there was 鈥渘o condemnation of those symbols while they were being carried and proudly displayed on the Hill.鈥
Fergus said the events left him wondering who would come to his rescue if adherents to those hate symbols decided to 鈥渁ct out鈥 on him.
COUTTS BLOCKADE PARTIALLY LIFTED 鈥 ANOTHER APPEARS
Meanwhile in Alberta, the RCMP managed to negotiate a partial lifting of the Canada 鈥 U.S. border blockade at Coutts Wednesday night, with many of the protesters remaining in the area, but moving their vehicles to the side of the highway.
After that partial reopening, however, a second blockade was set up 18 kilometres to the north near Milk River.
Cpl. Curtis Peters, RCMP spokesperson, told 麻豆影视 Channel late Thursday that only about 10 vehicles were able to get through before the second blockade was established, but it is now also allowing vehicles to pass.
鈥淲ith the ongoing dialogue with the group, we were able to get that traffic moving again,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 still a significant backlog there. There鈥檚 still ongoing protest activity in two locations now.鈥
Peters said there are about 60 commercial vehicles near the border and about 200 vehicles -- consisting of commercial, passenger and farming vehicles -- near Milk River.
鈥淚t鈥檚 created a very narrow lane of travel, but it is still moving,鈥 he said.
Peters said officers are in 鈥渃onstant communication鈥 with the protesters and are considering several ways to bring an end to the demonstrations near the border.
鈥淲e鈥檙e constantly considering different options and feel out what鈥檚 next,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no magic solution we can provide that will provide an immediate end to this.鈥
------
With a file from the Canadian Press and CTVNews.ca writer Alexandra Mae Jones
Correction:
This story has been updated to reflect the correct last name of MP Greg Fergus.
