Three Ottawa city councillors organize citizen patrol through Centretown
With the city warning of a continued impact on services throughout Ottawa's downtown core this weekend, residents are making moves to take back some control.
The 'Freedom Convoy 2022' occupation entered it's eighth day on Friday, February 4, with no end in sight to the anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate protest in and around Parliament Hill.
A citizen patrol is starting Friday morning, led by councillors Catherine McKenney, Shawn Menard and Jeff Leiper, to promote safety and unity for Ottawa residents.
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“As disturbing reports emerge, we will meet in Centretown and walk the neighbourhood,” Menard said in a tweet. “Friday starting at 11 a.m., and through the weekend, we will walk in the core reinforcing the importance of safety for residents and unity at this time. It is important to foster mutual aid, and not confrontation. Join in if you are able.”
As disturbing reports emerge, we will meet in Centretown and walk the neighbourhood. Friday starting at 11am, and through the weekend, we will walk in the core reinforcing the importance of safety for residents and unity at this time. #Ottawa #ottnews @cmckenney @JLeiper
— Shawn Menard (@ShawnMenard1) February 3, 2022
Community Safety Walks – Keep each other safe. Ours starts today at 11am in Centretown. We will be walking this route and continuing through the weekend. You may wish to plan this for your community this weekend too #Ottawa #ottnews @cmckenney @JLeiper pic.twitter.com/WZhTxz8mj6
— Shawn Menard (@ShawnMenard1) February 4, 2022
Also, while some are welcoming news the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will be deploying additional officers to help the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), others like councillor McKenney feel the RCMP should be deployed to Parliament Hill while OPS move their focus to the rest of the downtown core.
Still not a real plan for residential neighbourhoods in the downtown! As long as OPS is lead on the Hill that is their focus. Not Centretown. We need RCMP to assume lead on the Hill so that OPS prioritize residential neighbourhoods. Why is this so difficult? Keep residents safe! https://t.co/luM0Kk8DMF
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— Catherine McKenney (they/them) (@cmckenney) February 4, 2022
McKenney says residents have been suffering from abuse and incessant horn honking all throughout the downtown, not just near the hill.
While the truck convoy has dwindled since last weekend, there doesn't seem to be any resolution on the horizon. Tamara Lich, a protest organizer, says the departure of the demonstrators would be based on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “ending all mandates and restrictions on our freedoms.”
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On Thursday, February 3, protesters were seen stocking up on canisters of propane and cans of fuel in Confederation Park.
~With files from The Canadian Press
