The protesters are confronted with police during a demonstration, part of a knob -type demonstration that participants call “Rolling Thunder” in Ottawa on Friday. UPDATE 6:35 p.m. A large rally against COVID-19 vaccine orders and restrictions has just been completed on Parliament Hill, but hundreds of protesters remain. The crowd spread across Parliament and much of Wellington Street. Today’s demonstration was relatively calm and peaceful. Organizers say they plan to lead the crowd on a march through downtown Ottawa before heading to a rural area outside the city for an “after party.” Asked if the protesters were expected to return home after the day’s events, Freedom Fighters Canada spokesman Bethan Nodwell said nothing more than a church service was scheduled Sunday morning. The Ottawa Police Department says one person was arrested for being in the city center in violation of previous release conditions. The force reminds anyone prohibited from being in the heart of the city as part of their conditions of release from the charges imposed during the February “Freedom Pact” that they must abide by the rules. Police tweeted that anyone found to be violating these terms would be arrested and prosecuted. UPDATE: 9 a.m. The Rolling Thunder Veterans Ceremony at the National War Memorial is now over and hundreds of supporters have moved to the outskirts of Parliament Hill to watch a convoy of motorcycles pass through the area. Retired Pte. Christopher Deering laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as a way to “take back” the war memorial, as veterans of the Freedom Convoy protest in February reportedly fled the scene with police along with other protesters. Several veterans spoke out in support of Freedom Convoy’s three-week protest earlier this year, which prompted the federal government to invoke the emergency law for the first time. After the speeches and the laying of wreaths, the crowd of hundreds moved a few blocks south to watch an escort of motorcycles pass through the city. Police form a queue to keep hundreds of protesters off the road so that motorcycles could cross. The city’s public transportation agency wrote on Twitter on Saturday that the downtown mall had closed after closing last night after clashes between police and Rolling Thunder protesters. The Ottawa Police Department, meanwhile, is advising residents to wait for traffic delays and downtime in the city center, as much of the city core remained closed to vehicles participating in the protests. The force said in a tweet that its officers had spotted protesters wearing protective equipment and reminded participants to abide by the law and follow police instructions. UPDATE: 7:55 a.m. The Ottawa Police Department says it will maintain a “strong presence” in the downtown area as the “Rolling Thunder” rally begins on the second day of the protests. The force issued a tweet this morning saying that its hate crime unit is on the ground and anyone displaying hate symbols will be charged. Meanwhile, a group of about 100 protesters gathered at the National War Memorial for an event at 10:00 a.m., which is said to honor war veterans who claim to have fled the scene by police during the protests. “Freedom Voice” of February. Dozens of protesters gathered across the street and shouted for them to go home, while police formed a line in the middle of the street to separate the two groups.
Police will maintain a strong presence throughout the city center. Trailers are part of the development plan. All appropriate enforcement options will be used. – Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) April 30, 2022 ORIGINAL: 6:45 a.m. Police arrested seven protesters “Rolling Thunder” in Ottawa on Friday after a short escort of vehicles attempted to head to Parliament’s hill as part of a rally expected to continue throughout the weekend. The Ottawa Police Department said 24 vehicles had been towed since Friday night. As of Saturday morning, city officials said law enforcement officers had issued 417 tickets and towed 30 vehicles in connection with the rally. “There are a number of events scheduled for this weekend in Ottawa. Police will be monitoring them to ensure peace is maintained,” the Ottawa Police Department said in a tweet Saturday morning. The protesters arrived in the city on Friday afternoon as part of the “Rolling Thunder” rally, organized by Freedom Fighters Canada, a group dedicated to speaking out against the COVID-19 orders. Many of the protesters also took part in the “Freedom Accord” demonstration that took place in the capital for weeks in February in protest of vaccination orders, restrictions on COVID-19 and Prime Minister Justin Trindade. The protest is expected to continue on Saturday with an escort of hundreds of motorcycles in the city center, with a stop at the National War Memorial, before being transported to Parliament Hill for another rally. OC Transpo, the city’s public transport agency, posted on Saturday that it was increasing its presence on the ground to support customers and “ensure the safety of our front-line staff.” On Friday night, the agency wrote on Twitter that the Rideau Center, a three-level shopping center in the heart of the center, was closed due to the rally. The protest started relatively calmly on Parliament Hill on Friday, but as night fell, a series of large platforms, caravans and other trucks reached the core of the city center. The protesters gathered around the trucks and the police with regular equipment formed a line and confronted them downwards. Seven people have been arrested on various charges, including assaulting police, the Ottawa Police Department said. At least one truck had also broken its windows.
