Randall Denley: Ottawa police, mayor and Justin Trudeau to blame for convoy occupation

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A resounding failure of leadership

Publication date :

February 07, 2022 • 3 hours ago • 4 mins read • 541 comments , in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Patrick Doyle Article Content

Ottawa has more government presence than any other city in the country, including federal, provincial and municipal police and politicians galore. And yet no one is doing anything effective against the determined protesters who have set up a semi-permanent camp in the capital and have no intention of leaving.

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Ten days into the occupation of downtown Ottawa by Freedom Convoy truckers, the question of who should act and what should be done remains unresolved. The number of protesters rose to 5,000 over the weekend before dropping to an engaged core of a few hundred on Monday. Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly says police are doing their best, but are overwhelmed. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson punctuated his fuss over protesters’ ‘bouncy castles, hot tubs and saunas’ with an emergency declaration that the city’s attorney says will do nothing useful . Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the one the protesters came to see, refused to speak to them and spent Monday in “private meetings”. Trudeau tested positive for COVID, but that was a week ago.

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So far, more has been done by a 21-year-old downtown resident who sought an injunction to stop the incessant blaring of truck horns and won her case on Monday afternoon, with the court imposing a horn ban of 10 days.

This is a stunning failure of leadership at every level, and it started the minute protesters hit the highway. Truckers said they were coming in large numbers, heading downtown, and they were going to stay indefinitely. Some would consider this warning fair, but in Ottawa, when someone makes a clear statement, the first instinct is to ask themselves what they really intend to do. Maybe it’s the result of too many years of dealing with politicians.

Rather than assume the truckers would keep their word, Ottawa police decided to bet they would stay the first weekend and then drive home. Bad bet, after all, even if that’s what most other protest groups would have done. The truckers’ movement is different from most of the groups that came before it. They are equipped with money, large rigs that can house them indefinitely, and the determination to stay until all pandemic restrictions are lifted. Although the group largely lacks central leadership, they are dynamic people capable of establishing a self-sufficient camp in front of Parliament Hill. It’s not the usual crowd that would just wave signs and have their pictures taken.

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The Ottawa police failed by not giving themselves the opportunity to control the truckers’ protest. If they had given any credence to the truckers’ threat to stay long term, they would have blocked access to downtown and ordered truckers to park on LeBreton Flats, west of Parliament Hill. . They could have narrowed Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings and allowed truckers to pass in single file, but not to park. This would have prevented the occupation of the city center. The barriers are in place now, but it’s too late.

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The next decision point for the city’s police and politicians came last Monday after the vast majority of the original 10,000 protesters left, but a committed core of 250-300 made it clear they would be entrenching themselves. . This would have been the time to seek an injunction from the court to make the event illegal. This would have forced the protesters to leave or face criminal charges. The city has yet to seek an injunction.

Instead, the police took some minor action. They negotiated the return of a small urban park to the city center. They also seized more than 3,000 liters of fuel from a staging area the city had set aside for protesters. Now those delivering fuel downtown to help truckers are expected to be charged with mischief, but video footage on Monday showed people carrying cans right in front of a police cruiser.

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Sloly tried to put the best face possible on his actions on Monday, claiming credit for a reduction in the overall number of protesters. Hundreds of out-of-town police are already helping, but Sloly says he needs 1,800 more police and civilians to get the job done. For context, Ottawa has 1,200 police officers. At least he stopped calling the army to help him.

The question is, what would all those extra people do? Sure, they could hand out more tickets or enforce the fuel ban, but what’s needed is someone at the federal level to listen to the protesters and try to negotiate either their departure or limits to the protest that would allow life in the heart of the country’s capital to return to something like normal.

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Instead of effective action, however, all that is offered are more incendiary words. Trudeau did nothing but scorn protesters and Watson piled in on Monday, referring to hooliganism, psychological warfare, malicious intent and people “looking for a fight.”

There are certainly some reprehensible people participating in the truckers’ protest and the group has worn down its welcome. This does not mean that the whole group should be treated like the Mongol Horde. A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute indicates that 54% of Canadians want pandemic restrictions to end now and for provincial governments to move in that direction.

Trudeau should come out of hiding and tell the truckers that they are just a little premature in their demands. It would be leadership. Instead, everyone is working together to do nothing. It’s business as usual in Ottawa, but it’s not the usual time.

Randall Denley is an Ottawa political commentator, author and former Ontario Conservative candidate. Contact him at [email protected]

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