City of Ottawa: No Fines or Arrests After Convoy Supporters Confront Police and Shoot Fireworks
City of Ottawa: No Fines or Arrests After Convoy Supporters Confront Police and Shoot Fireworks
Ottawa Police Service suggests officers may have ‘pulled back’ from an aggressive convoy crowd over concerns for the safety of police officers
No one was arrested or ticketed this weekend after a rowdy parking lot party celebrating the two-year anniversary of the Freedom Convoy and invocation of the Emergencies Act ended quite literally in fireworks.
City of Ottawa By-law and Ottawa Police confirm no charges or fines were issued Saturday night, despite an incident at the corner of Queen and Kent where a few dozen convoy supporters aggressively confronted police.
After being told to “get the fuck out of here,” ConvoyWatch observed several police vehicles leave the scene. Convoy supporters then set off dozens of rounds of fireworks next to office buildings and hotels.
City of Ottawa confirms no fines issued, despite fireworks:
City of Ottawa By-law said it issued no fines Saturday night but has opened an investigation into the illegal fireworks first reported by ConvoyWatch.
Roger Chapman, the City of Ottawa’s Director of By-law and Regulatory Services, provided the following statement to ConvoyWatch:
“Before and during demonstrations in Ottawa, By-law and Regulatory Services (BLRS) works with organizers and participants to educate them on the City’s by-laws and find resolutions to any issues that may arise.
During the protests that occurred this past weekend, BLRS did not issue any fines, however an investigation into the illegal discharge of fireworks downtown remains open. As the investigation is still underway, the City cannot provide any additional information at this time.”
Ottawa Police also laid no charges, despite ‘pulling back’ from aggressive convoy supporters:
In its own statement to ConvoyWatch, the Ottawa Police Service likewise said no charges were laid by police during the encounter at Queen and Kent:
“Both the Ottawa Police and City By-law attended on Saturday evening; and no charges were laid by police. Demonstrators were warned and there were no further disturbance incidents to note that evening.”
Livestreams showed an aggressive and emboldened crowd chanting “shame” and yelling at police to “get the fuck out of here.”
“They were met with chants of ‘arrest Trudeau’ and it looks like they have changed their minds and are bailing out,” convoy spokesperson Chris Dacey boasted on a livestream video.
An Ottawa Police spokesperson suggested one reason police officers may have pulled back from the scene was for their own safety:
“It should be noted that police officers pulling back from an active scene could be related to the participants, responders and officers safety.”
Local elected officials speak out against ‘double-standard’:
Ottawa’s uneven enforcement of laws has been a subject of criticism in recent months after a union leader was arrested at a protest for striking workers and fines issued for using megaphones at Palestinian anti-war protests.
The convoy’s comparatively gentle treatment by law enforcement prompted a number of local elected officials to speak out against the growing perception of a “double-standard” in how laws are being enforced in Ottawa.
Downtown Ottawa city councillor Ariel Troster issued a statement Tuesday noting constituents have told her the police and by-law response to convoy supporters’ behaviour over the weekend appeared “hypocritical”:
“A number of residents wrote to me this weekend with concerns about what seemed to them as uneven enforcement of noise bylaws, particularly with the demonstrations associated with the two-year anniversary of the convoy.
Many pointed out that it seemed hypocritical that participants in recent anti-war and pro-LGTBQ rallies were given tickets, while it appeared that convoy folks were allowed to act with impunity.
The issue of who is getting ticketed and why is a hot issue amongst my council colleagues and something that we are actively investigating. We are looking for a solution — whether it is some sort of agreement around guidelines for enforcement or a potential amendment to the bylaw to allow for some lower-volume amplified sound during political demonstrations.
Setting off illegal fireworks and leaning on air horns is disruptive to downtown residents and also triggering for people who lived through the convoy occupation.
I have written to the Chief of Police and the Chief of Bylaw Services to find out how many tickets were handed out and what charges were issued this weekend.”
Likewise, Nepean-area councillor Sean Devine also suggested there has been a lack of consistency in how laws are being enforced:
“If we’re issuing fines for the use of megaphones during some protests, surely these acts merit punitive measures as well.”
Ottawa-Centre MPP Joel Harden also noted the response by law enforcement to the convoy’s urban fireworks display represented a “double-standard”:
“Neighbours peaceully demanding #CeasefireNOW and justice for Palestinian siblings are given $500 tickets, but convoy supporters lighting fireworks and loudly honking are ignored. The double-standard continues to be disappointing and cannot be ignored.”
Arrests after violent altercation on Parliament Hill:
In a separate incident Sunday, Claude Comtois, a regular convoy protester known for wearing a hat made of tinfoil, was handcuffed by the Parliamentary Protective Service after grabbing and tackling a local counterprotester.
Video posted on social media showed multiple convoy protesters bumping and placing hands on combative local activist Deana Sherif in an incident that took place on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill.
During the melee, Comtois, also known as ‘tinfoil hat guy’, is seen grabbing Sherif from behind, hauling her onto Parliament Hill, then tackling her and sitting on top of her while attempting to present her to the PPS.
The PPS subsequently handcuffed Sherif as well and issued her a ticket for trespassing after she was ordered to leave Parliament Hill for yelling at a convoy supporter wearing yellow pajamas, a top hat and a cape.
Sherif told ConvoyWatch she plans to contest the trespassing ticket and will file a formal complaint against the PPS. Sherif said she is also looking into pressing charges against Comtois.