Truck convoy protesters will not be given a deadline to leave: Sloly

Ottawa police say there is no plan to give occupiers of the downtown Red Zone a deadline to leave the area.

Gloucester-South Nepean councillor Carol Anne Meehan asked Ottawa’s police chief Peter Sloly in a Zoom meeting on Friday, February 11 if the idea had even been considered, adding that protesters seem to be the ones “running the show.”

“Shutting off one area means two or three others pop up,” Sloly told Meehan. “While we have measured success, it’s not a complete success.”

Sloly also said he is unaware of any jurisdiction in Ottawa who has applied such a deadline to protesters.

“We’re not different than any other jurisdiction,” he said.

It's also not possible to stop trucks to enter the city before the city’s borders, Sloly clarified, as police both don’t have the manpower to do that, and are also not allowed to carry such an operation out.

Sloly said police continue to address the issue of supplies, like fuel and food, making their way to occupied areas. 

So far, there’s been success in shutting down fundraising efforts like that of through GoFundMe, but Sloly pointed out that they’re not yet able to prevent supplies from reaching encampents 100 per cent.