‘Police doing absolutely nothing’ about protester behaviour: Ottawa Black Diaspora Coalition

A local anti-racism group is questioning the role of Ottawa police and the lack of action officers are taking as “Freedom Convoy” protests continue in the city.

“We're going on the sixth day, today, of them blocking the downtown area, and we were moved in on by Ottawa Police Services after 36 hours of blocking an intersection in the downtown core,” Vanessa Dorimain, co-chair of the Ottawa Black Diaspora Coalition said, about her experience with police during a recent protest the group held. “Even the ways in which we were met when we were being moved in upon, we were met with brute force and we were met with weapons.”

“What you're noticing now is that you're seeing a lot of police actually walking by a lot of very inappropriate and questionable behaviour on behalf of the organizers and are doing nothing about that.”

She mentions incidents such as the desecration of war memorials and the verbal harassment of staff at the Shepherd's of Good Hope as some of the inappropriate actions protesters are taking — yet, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) isn't appropriately responding.

Earlier on Wednesday, February 2, Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly told media that investigations — currently at 25 active ones — are currently underway into these incidents, adding that more are on the way.

The OPS also told media that it expects more protests to occur this coming weekend and the service is prepared to use all of its resources — including the help from out-of-town police teams — to control the demonstrations.

But in November, members of the Ottawa Black Diaspora Coalition began protesting outside of the city's police headquarters to advocate for decreasing the OPS' budget — but police treated those protesters differently.

“The question poses about, 'Why are they here? Which types of people do they serve and protect? What types of activities do they deem to be illegal and appropriate and not? And what bodies are valued and not?' Dorimain said. “That's what I'm hoping the rest of the city also sees with what's going on right now.”

Dorimain told The Sam Laprade Show that the role of police isn't to stop crime. Instead, police are actually meant to be a response to crime.

In turn, she said, the Ottawa Black Diaspora Coalition would like to see the money in the OPS' budget be reallocated toward areas such as social programming, childcare and housing to better help the community.

She said the OPS should've moved in on “Freedom Convoy” protesters shortly after many began waving confederate flags, donning swastikas and antagonizing pedestrians.

“The police should've moved in on them and arrested folks and been able to lay charges on them for their really inappropriate and wild behaviour,” she says. “The lack of response is what's shocking to me, and I think that the police still have an opportunity to correct themselves and take of the city in a better way. But most likely than not, they're not going to.”