It was a scene of chaos and confusion in the upper tiers of the police service and local government when a convoy of big rigs and protesters arrived in Ottawa to demand an end to pandemic restrictions last winter.
This has been the impression given by witnesses during the first few weeks of hearings before the Public Order Emergency Commission, which is looking at the deployment of the Emergencies Act by the federal government in February to put an end to the weeks-long rally.
The committee also heard testimony from people who had lived in the capital’s downtown and described how they had suffered under the influence of anarchy, nonstop truck horns, and companies that had to close.
However, the investigation hasn’t yet heard from the demonstrators directly.
Witnesses who can shed light on the origins of the “Freedom Convoy” movement, which according to all accounts to date appears to have been begun by two truck drivers and a TikTok video, and how it developed over time, are expected to appear this week.
Tamara Lich and Pat King are two of the protest leaders included on the witness list who are being prosecuted for their participation in the demonstration.
Before the hearing, Keith Wilson, a lawyer for several prominent convoy organisers, stated that his clients are eager to discuss what happened and why they were in Ottawa in the first place.
They anticipate that it will become clear—as many people already do—that the Emergencies Act was not necessary.
Since then, Wilson himself has been added to the list of witnesses.
The protesters began to arrive in Ottawa on Jan.
28 to voice their irrational rage and hostility to the federal government and COVID-19 limitations, such as vaccine mandates.
As demonstrators halted traffic and established camps in downtown streets, the demonstration swiftly turned into what the authorities have dubbed a “occupation.” They screamed “freedom” while honking their horns and wouldn’t leave until their demands were satisfied.
Similar protests were sparked by the demonstrations elsewhere in the nation, including a six-day blockade of the Canada-U.S.
border crossing on the Windsor, Ontario, Ambassador Bridge.
On February 14, the federal government used the Emergencies Act to give police extra authority. As a result, areas of the city were blocked off, and towing companies were forced to remove vehicles. Additionally, banks and other financial service providers were given the authority to freeze the funds of protest organisers.
By February 18, a significant police operation was under way to remove the protesters from the streets of Ottawa.
Two of the early protest organisers, Chris Barber and Brigitte Belton, are anticipated to give the first testimony from the perspective of the convoy.
Barber has been co-accused with Tamara Lich of criminal mischief, obstructing police, and counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation for his actions during the protest..
This week, “Freedom Convoy” organisers will appear before an Emergencies Act inquiry.
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