After gathering on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in the afternoon, hundreds of people began marching through downtown streets to make their voices heard. They made their way to the War Memorial via Bank, Gladstone and Elgin Streets.
While the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) had to make four arrests the day before, there were no arrests on Friday. However, the authorities have issued several offenses and fines.
Launch of the Twitter widget. Skip widget? End of the Twitter widget. Return to top of widget?Top of Twitter widget. Skip widget? End of the Twitter widget. Back to the top of the widget?
An anti-vaccination protester wears a helmet and carries a needle gun during a protest in Ottawa. He calls himself “Boosterman”.
Photo: Radio Canada / Denis Babin
Further demonstrations were planned elsewhere in the capital.
A rally scheduled for this morning in Strathcona Park in the Côte-de-Sable district has also been cancelled, according to a message published on Twitter Thursday evening by the group Police on Guard for Thee, which sponsored the activity.
The group said it made the decision after the recent incident in Ottawa, a reference to the arrest of four people at Thursday’s rally near the National War Memorial.
Although the planned rally in Strathcona Park was canceled, 30 to 50 protesters attended, including representatives from the People’s Party of Canada (PPC).
Photo: Radio Canada / Charles Lalande
Police at You Station did not provide details about the decision but said they would provide more information in the coming days. This group consists of former Ontario police officers who have repeatedly spoken out against compulsory vaccination and other public health measures.
Despite the cancellation of that gathering, about fifty people attended Strathcona Park. The People’s Party of Canada organized a picnic there.
Mathieu St-Jean, PPC coordinator and candidate in Gatineau, was there. It’s friendly to receive people, chat, discuss and see their concerns, he said. The party’s lieutenant for Quebec, Daniel Bisson, has also argued that everyone is welcome.
James Topp delivered a speech upon his arrival at the National War Memorial at approximately 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Photo: Radio Canada / Frédéric Pepin
Michael DelMastro, an activist opposed to the convoy, was also at the scene. The majority of Canadians do not support the convoy, he recalled. Mr. DelMastro said he was well received by PPC members and supporters.
“I’m always for respectful disagreements. »
— A quote from Michael DelMastro, an anti-convoy activist
“I’m disheartened by the level of misinformation and anti-scientific discourse we always hear about convoy activities, but unfortunately this is part of our reality and I’m doing my best to fight it,” he concluded.
concert and dance
On the sidelines of official activities at Plaines-LeBreton Park, protesters also organized a dance party on Parliament Hill in the evening.
Performances by artists who had become known during the truck convoy were planned.
Many of these activities are coordinated by Veterans 4 Freedom (V4F), a group made up of people who were closely involved with the truck convoy last winter.
We hope different groups of workers affected by mandatory vaccination will attend, Andrew MacGillivray, veteran and member of the V4F organizing committee, told CBC. Whether it’s a paramedic, postal worker, carpenter or teacher, all professions and employees across Canada adversely affected by mandatory vaccination are welcome.
Ottawa Police said lawful protests are allowed but would stop all illegal activity, including erecting structures or loudspeakers without a permit. Any threat of occupation will also be subject to immediate action.
Launch of the Twitter widget. Skip widget? End of the Twitter widget. Back to the top of the widget?
We deploy our resources downtown and monitor the convoys. We have extensive police resources and equipment on standby, including tow trucks, the OPS recalled on its Twitter account.
Ottawa Police Service (OPS) officers are ready to respond if necessary.
Photo: Radio Canada / Catherine Morasse
Some organizers had said they had received permission to hold their rally on Parliament Hill from 5pm to 8pm.
We will be peaceful. We will respect the law, he argued. If [la police] wants to crack down on us for peaceful protests on Parliament Hill, there is nothing we can do. We will deal with the situation in a timely manner.
Other anti-government groups, united under the banner of the Canadian Citizen Coalition, are also involved in the activities. We will celebrate Canada. We have the right to do it and to do it where we want, Mr MacGillivray underscored. We are not coming to occupy your city. They simply live in our nation’s capital.
With information from Frédéric Pepin, Catherine Morasse, Denis Babin, David Fraser of CBC and The Canadian Press