That’s the picture painted by witnesses during the first two weeks of hearings at the Public Order Emergency Committee, which is investigating the federal government’s use of the Emergency Act in February to end the weeks-long protest. The inquest also heard from businesses forced to close and residents of the capital’s city center who told of their suffering as lawlessness and clock-honking lorries overtook their community. Former Ottawa police chief Peter Slowley appeared Friday to defend his choices last winter and will return Monday for cross-examination. However, until this week, the investigation has not heard from the protesters themselves. Witnesses are set to appear this week who could shed light on the arrest of the “Freedom Convoy” movement, which by all accounts to date appears to have started with two truck drivers and a TikTok video, and how it escalated over next year. WATCHES | Ottawa’s former police chief on his response to the protests:
Former Ottawa police chief defends handling of convoy protest
After days of criticism of the investigation over the use of the emergency law, former Ottawa police chief Peter Slowley defended the actions of his officers and leveled his own criticism at the information gathered before the convoy descended on the city. Several of the protest organizers on the witness list face criminal charges related to their participation in the protest, including Tamara Lich and Pat King. Keith Wilson, a lawyer representing some key convoy organizers, said before the inquest that his clients were eager to talk about what was going on and why they were in Ottawa in the first place. “They hope it will become apparent, as many already know, that there was no need to invoke the Emergency Act,” he said. Wilson has since been added to the witness list himself. Protesters began arriving in Ottawa on January 28 to express their anger and opposition to the federal government and its COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine mandates. The protest quickly escalated into what police deemed an “occupation,” as protesters blocked traffic and set up encampments on city streets. They honked their horns, shouted “freedom” and refused to leave until their demands were met. LISTEN | What happened last week at the Emergency Act Inquiry: CBC News: The House9:49 Reviewing the third week of the emergency law inquiry CBC Ottawa reporter Shaamini Yogaretnam and Globe and Mail parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh break down what we learned from this week’s testimony at the Emergency Act inquiry. The protesters inspired similar demonstrations in other parts of the country, including a six-day blockade of the Canada-U.S. border crossing at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont. On February 14, the federal government invoked emergency law to give police new powers, cordoning off parts of the city and forcing towing companies to remove vehicles. Banks and other financial services firms were also given powers to freeze the funds of protest organizers. By February 18, a massive police operation was underway to remove protesters from the streets of Ottawa. Testimony from the escort’s perspective is expected to begin with two of the first organizers involved in planning the protest: Chris Barber and Brigitte Belton. Barber has been charged along with Tamara Lich with criminal mischief, obstructing police and counseling others to commit disorderly conduct and intimidation for his actions during the protest.
