Ottawa deputy mayor ‘disappointed’ about trucker convoy protests

One of Ottawa's deputy mayors says he's “disappointed” about the trucker convoy protesters impacting residents within the city.

“I am really disappointed about the residential,” George Darouze tells The Sam Laprade Show. “My heart and my community is in full support with the residents of the city of Ottawa. They don't deserve what's happening right now, specifically with the idling and specifically with the horns and honking and all that stuff.”

Darouze is also the councillor for Osgoode Ward. While he said that area hasn't seen any trucker convoy protesters, he says his duties cover more than just that community.

“We don't have honking and we don't have trucks idling in our community in Osgoode,” he says. “But I'm a city councillor for the whole city and I'm a deputy mayor, so my job is to represent all the residents in the city of Ottawa. This has been a difficult time in the last 11 days.”

He says he supports freedom and human rights, but these “Freedom Convoy” protests have gone “beyond” those values.

He added that it'd be fine if protesters wanted to remain in front of Parliament Hill and had plans to meet with Mayor Jim Watson as well as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

But with protests spreading throughout the downtown core and other parts of Ottawa, he says it's overwhelming many residents.

Moreover, he says councillors have been “so busy” handling requests and emails from the community.

“They don't want to see any harm,” he says. “They don't want to see people in the downtown core being disrupted, businesses being crippled. There's lots of things I don't agree with, and I'm hoping that our Prime Minister will have some conversations with this group so they can go home.

“Like the mayor said, 'They've over-stayed their welcome.'”