Key Takeaways:
- As the police began to crack down on the flow of fuel and materials into the downtown core.
- “Anyone attempting to provide material support to the demonstrators may be arrested,” police said on Twitter on Sunday afternoon.
- Over 450 tickets were issued by police and bylaw services officers between Saturday and Sunday morning.
As police started to crack down on the supply of fuel as well as materials flowing into the downtown core, “several people” were arrested on mischief charges for bringing material goods to the “Freedom Convoy” demonstrators.
As the ten-day demonstration against COVID-19 vaccine mandates continues, demonstrators have been transporting gasoline cans and propane canisters to trucks inside their zone’ around Parliament Hill using vehicles, waggons, and sleds.
On Sunday afternoon, police announced on Twitter that “Anyone attempting to provide material support to the demonstrators may be arrested. The law is being enforced.”
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This is the next step in the enforcement to deal with the ongoing protest downtown, according to Deputy Chief Steve Bell, who spoke to CTV News at Six.
“Take a look at how we restrict movement into and out of the protest area,” Bell said.
“We’ve been focusing and targeting removing gasoline access to the area, and we’ve had several seizures and arrests as a result.”
According to CTV News Ottawa, the charge is called “Aiding and Abetting of Mischief” in Canada’s Criminal Code.
Armed police officers and firefighters stormed the Ottawa Baseball Stadium on Coventry Road, which had been utilized as a staging area for the demonstration, early Sunday evening. According to witnesses on the scene, police seized 3,200 liters of fuel stored at the stadium.
Seven people were arrested, and 100 tickets were issued, according to Ottawa police.
“A number of vehicles and fuel have been seized,” police said. “Officers arrested three people for mischief at Metcalf and Slater. The investigation is ongoing, and we will provide updates as they become available.”
On Coventry Road, 2 individuals were arrested for mischief.
Two more people were arrested early Sunday, one for driving while prohibited and the other for mischief involving property damage at a downtown business, according to police.
On Sunday, more than 100 tickets were released in the demonstration zone, including excessive honking, driving the wrong way, having liquor readily available, as well as having a defective muffler.
Following a “disruptive” weekend, over 450 tickets were released in the protest zone around Parliament Hill on Sat and Sun morning.
“Overnight, demonstrators engaged in extremely disruptive and unlawful behavior, endangering public safety and infuriating Ottawa residents,” police said.
Between Saturday morning and Sunday morning, police and bylaw services officers issued over 450 tickets.
Source: CTV News
