At an inquiry into how the federal government uses the Emergencies Act, representatives from the Ottawa Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police are scheduled to give testimony on Thursday about the difficulties they faced in dealing with the “Freedom Convoy” rallies.
OPP Supt. Craig Abrams and acting deputy chief Patricia Ferguson, who oversaw the city’s law enforcement effort throughout the protest, are expected to speak.
Ferguson is anticipated to inform the commission about difficulties and internal conflicts that occurred within the police force during the convoy and how these issues affected policing efforts.
And it’s anticipated that Abrams will offer a straightforward account of the policing measures taken during the demonstrations as well as some insight into how the various police agencies interacted with one another.
Police intelligence assessments indicated the demonstrators were prepared to stay for a “long time” after their arrival in the capital on January 28, according to documents submitted to the probe.
On February 14, the federal Liberals proclaimed an emergency under the act, giving the police exceptional temporary powers in an effort to remove the demonstrators blocking the streets in front of Parliament Hill.
Inquiry under the Emergencies Act will hear from police personnel over convoy protests
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