“The bikes are coming and we will take back this monument,” organizer Neal Sheard said during a service at the National War Memorial to kick off the day.
Officers on foot and on motorcycles were deployed within the so-called exclusion zone and along the route to escort motorcyclists to the event.  Ten people have been arrested so far this weekend, and Ottawa Regulations and Regulatory Authorities have issued more than 560 tickets for parking / no-stop violations in the exclusion zone.
Three people were arrested on Saturday, according to police.
“A woman was arrested for assaulting police on Elgin Street at noon. A man was arrested (Saturday) in the afternoon for violating the terms of the February occupation,” police said.
Police said a driver was arrested after rushing an OPP motorcycle to a checkpoint in the exclusion zone.
“The man, who was released on conditions derived from the February occupation, faces many charges.”
Interim Police Chief Steve Bell told CTV News on Six that he believes police have done “a pretty good job” in managing the incident.
“Part of what would be very important to me is the way our citizens evaluate our success.  “We heard loud and clear from our community that they were bored with them in our city and there was no tolerance for a repeat of what happened in February,” Bell said on Saturday night.
“From what we hear from our community they are happy with our response from the police.  “They would prefer that not happen, but they understand that people will come to our city and wait for the police to really handle it, and I think we have done a pretty good job this weekend.”
All roads are open in the center of the center, with police monitoring the intersections through the exclusion zone.
In a statement late Saturday night, police said several escorts and groups were located outside the city.
“Our intelligence gathering shows that many escorts chose not to come to Ottawa based on the operational stance of the police,” police said.
Police say “controlled access” will be in the city center on Sunday.
“A key goal of our efforts will be to support and protect the CN cycle for CHEO.”
The Veterans of Freedom hosted a memorial service at the National War Memorial at 10 a.m., followed by a motorcycle escort with more than 400 motorcycles rolling through the city center core.  Motorcycles climbed Elgin Street to Albert Street as supporters lined the street screaming Canadian flags.
The curfew created around the Parliamentary District prevented motorcycles and other vehicles participating in the protest from circling around the National War Memorial.
  “Fear and division are equal hatred.  “We may disagree, but we do not hate each other,” Sheard said.
Participants gather at the National War Memorial during a demonstration, part of a convoy-type protest called “Rolling Thunder”, in Ottawa, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Sean Kilpatrick)
Sheard had previously told the Evan Solomon Show this week that the cycling rally was being held to “help heal and restore dignity to this monument desecrated by the forces” during the Freedom Convoy event in January. and in February.  .
Serd said the National War Memorial honors those who sacrificed for this country.
“Today you are here sacrificing your time, this monument turns it into time,” Sheard said.
“The truckers sacrificed, these men sacrificed, these people came here and sacrificed.  They spent money to come here, they sacrificed.  “This is the kind of sacrifice we are asking for because Canadians must be sacrificed to maintain our freedom.”
The Rolling Thunder Ottawa website does not describe the purpose or goals of the weekend event, but says participants should “spread as much peace, love and patriotism as possible to their Canadian colleagues.”
During an hour-long speech at the War Memorial, a speaker referred to the way the Ministry of National Defense and the police fenced off the National War Memorial during the opening weekend of the “Freedom Escort”.
“The national symbol of freedom was literally involved,” Alex said as the crowd denounced and shouted “shame.”
“It was, I had no words.  We chased it and it came down “.
Fences were erected at the war memorial after a woman stood at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in January.
Speakers at the event denounced COVID-19 vaccine orders and public health measures, the mainstream media, and voiced opposition to the federal government.
Chris told the crowd that the ceremony would return to the National War Memorial for all Canadians.
“This will allow us to give back our dignity to our unjustly deprived victims, and not just veterans, all Canadians deserve access to pay their due respect whenever they can,” Chris said.
Tom added, “That’s why we’re here today to pay tribute to this monument and that’s something he has won.  “Each of you out here today are fighters, you are all lions and it is our job to wake up the rest of the world and turn it into lions.”
Hundreds of people watched a rally on Parliament Hill on Saturday afternoon, before climbing Bank Street on Gladstone Avenue and then returning to the hill along Elgin Street.  Among the speakers at the rally was the infamous far-right Chris Sky.  Sky has been a prominent figure in protests against COVID-19 orders.
A man told Natalie van Rooy of CTV News Ottawa that they drove from Saskatchewan for the “Rolling Thunder Ottawa” event.
“We could not lose it.  “I and the children who came with me, our fathers and grandfathers are veterans,” he said.  “These guys are all vets here.  Everything is a matter of freedom, it really is.  If you go to this crowd, everyone will hug you. “
Mayor Jim Watson told CTV News on Six that he had spoken to councilors Mathieu Fleury and Catherine McKenney and were pleased with the police response to the protest so far this weekend.
“They seem to believe that things are going relatively well in their wards, the exclusion zones are working well,” Watson said.
“People are free to come and protest, but they can not do what they did in February and act irresponsibly, to intimidate our residents, to harm our small businesses, and that is why I am impressed by Chief Bell and his team does not get nonsense.  approach, they have a very strong police presence “.
More than 200 motorcycles take part in an escort along Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa on Saturday.  (Aaron Reid / CTV News Ottawa)
Officers from the Ottawa Police Department, the OPP, the RCMP and the municipal police force have been deployed across the city center to monitor the weekend protest.  Bell says residents can expect to see more downtown streets on Saturday and Sunday.
“We have plans to manage what will happen today.  “We have the resources on the ground here in Ottawa ready to use if there are problems,” Bell told the Newstalk 580 CFRA on Saturday morning.
“People can expect to see more restrictions, they can expect to see closed roads and our officers will continue to assess, manage and monitor what is happening so that we can keep the core area safe and unoccupied.”
The incidents come after police said police encountered an “aggressive crowd” in the Rideau Street and Sussex Drive area on Friday night, outside the Rideau Center.  Hundreds of people marched from Parliament to Rideau shortly after 7pm, blocking the road for two hours until police stormed in to clear protesters and several vehicles.
Seven people were arrested for various offenses and three vehicles were towed off the road, according to police.  Bell says a “number of people” arrested Friday night were linked to court breach commitments related to the “Freedom Convoy” protest in February.
Three vehicles were towed from Rideau Street and Sussex Drive on Friday night.
“No injuries have been reported and police are in full control of the city’s streets,” police said in a statement, adding that roads in the exclusion zone reopened late at night.
“Although during the week, we indicated that there would be no tolerance for it on our streets this weekend.  “They would not engage and there would be no tolerance for illegal or non-civil activities,” Bell said.
“I think we saw that last night and we responded to that.  We have plans, resources in place today to do exactly the same thing.  “I hope we do not have to use these tactics, but my job is not to hope, so we will continue to be prepared, to carry out our plans to ensure that the city’s roads remain safe and open to the people of Ottawa.”

Arrests on Saturday

Ottawa police told CTV News that 10 people have been arrested since the start of the event on Friday.  Seven of these people were arrested on Friday night.
On Twitter, police said the driver of a vehicle was arrested for dangerous driving on Saturday.
“Ignoring police instructions to Elgin and Queen, a vehicle climbed the sidewalk and was stopped,” police said.
“The driver was arrested for dangerous driving and identified as a guarantor not to enter Ottawa because of the charges against him during the February occupation.”

The Ottawa Regulations issue hundreds of tickets

The Ottawa Statutes and Regulations issued 560 tickets for vehicles that violate the restrictions of the no-stop and no-parking zone between 7 p.m.  Friday and 5 p.m.  Saturday’s.
Eight tickets were also issued for noise, smoking and aggravation of highway violations.

“Zero…