"Rolled out the welcome mat": Ottawa police receive backlash for lack of enforcement at trucker protest

Jan 31 2022, 4:08 pm

The Ottawa Police Service released a statement about how they plan on handling the protesters rallying against the vaccine mandate who have “announced their intention to stay in place.”

The statement, released on Sunday night, urged residents of the nation’s capitol to avoid travel to the core due to major traffic, noise and safety issues.

It also went on to explain why police haven’t been enforcing parking and traffic bylaws.

“Police have avoided ticketing and towing vehicle so as not to instigate confrontations with demonstrators,” reads the statement. “Still, confrontations and the need for de-escalation has regularly been required.”

The Ottawa police have since received backlash online. People took to Twitter to express their disappointment.

Many expressed anger at how the police have gone easy on the protesters.

Others pointed out the stark difference between how the police have treated these protesters versus how they treat unhoused, racialized and Indigenous people.

One comparison is how Wet’suwet’en land defenders were treated by the RCMP.

What was billed as a peaceful demonstration quickly attracted protesters flying Nazi and Confederate flags.

Along with the Terry Fox statue, the national war memorial and the aboriginal veterans monument were defaced by protesters. A tweet from reconciliation and mental health ambassador Tim O’Loan thanked the Ottawa Police for helping clear the monuments.

The so-called “Freedom Convoy” arrived in Ottawa over the weekend to protest the vaccine mandate on all cross-border truckers.

Isabelle DoctoIsabelle Docto

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