In an interview with The West Block host David Akin, Marco Mendicino said the public inquiry launched into why the government invoked the emergency law in response to the escort is important to public accountability. However, he warned that a “deliberate” attempt was being made to minimize the impact of the escort, which police and federal and municipal officials described as an “occupation”. “We took this situation extremely seriously – because it was – and I would like to point out that there is, I think, a very conscious, deliberate attempt by some within our political discourse to try to reduce and engage in some revisionism,” Mendicino told the situation that led to the invocation. The story goes on under the ad “I think it is reckless. We made a responsible decision. “We have a responsibility to protect Canadians.”
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The Ottawa escort was part of a series of blockades in late January and throughout February that closed many Canada-US border checkpoints, as well as a camp on the capital’s streets that lasted nearly four weeks. During that period, participants tortured residents in the main residential center of the city center with air horns and truck horns. Police said they received hundreds of reports of harassment, threatening behavior, hate crimes and traffic violations from the public. 1:53 Ottawa residents express relief after police protest with convoys Ottawa residents express relief after police crackdown – February 20, 2022 Police were largely unprepared about how quickly the protesters, equipped with large trucks and heavy machinery, excluded the roads and installed infrastructure. The story goes on under the ad It took almost four weeks and a large police operation with officers from all over the country to clear the camp. Ottawa Interim Chief Steve Bell acknowledged this week that the February events had dealt a “blow” and said there was a need for “treatment” between residents and police. Trending Stories
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“We are a tired city,” Bell said. “We had a lot of this kind of activity in and around and through our streets, especially in the heart of the city center.”
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His comments came as police pressured him to explain his plans to limit the impact of a motorcycle escort that arrived in the city on Friday, and as federal officials launched a public inquiry, as required by law, into the circumstances that led them to invoke the Law on emergencies. Conservatives have argued that it amounted to a violation of Canada’s constitutional rights – although the Emergency Act specifically states that it cannot circumvent the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
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Part of this research may look at the factors that led to the exclusions, Mendicino said. “I will stress as a public security minister the ideological extremism that triggered the occupation here in Ottawa and the blockades,” he said. The story goes on under the ad 1:50 Public safety minister links blockade protesters to far-right extremists Public security minister links blockade protesters to far-right extremists – February 16, 2022 Violent, ideologically motivated extremism is a growing focus for Canadian law enforcement, encompassing a broad and interconnected set of extremist ideologies that typically focus on anti-immigrant, anti-government, anti-women, and anti-Semitic ideologies. Experts say many have their roots in white supremacy and are easily spread on the Internet to radicalize people who are not usually exposed to hate and extremism.
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Mendicino suggested that the extremist ideology was manifested by calls from some organizers to ask the governor-general to remove the prime minister and the government unilaterally – ideas that are clearly not in line with reality and the Canadian constitutional distribution of power. He noted that the emergency law was only in force for 10 days before it was withdrawn as proof that the government had not tried to go beyond that. The story goes on under the ad “We did not want to invoke the emergency law. “We have always been, I think, very reluctant to invoke it,” Mendicino said. “I think this is a direct rebuttal to some who would say it would be an attempt to overcome. No, it was very limited in time, very targeted and compatible with the Charter. “ The report from the public investigation is expected in 10 months. Mendicino said the hope is to make recommendations “so that it never happens again”. 1:39 Ottawa police learn “a lot” from truckers ‘protests as Rolling Thunder motorcade hits the city this weekend Ottawa police learn “a lot” from truckers’ protests will hit the city this weekend © 2022 Global News, part of Corus Entertainment Inc.
