Manitoba authorities are already preparing for a possible return of the Freedom Convoy, which could take place in Winnipeg in February.
• Also read: Freedom 2.0 convoy: Quebec protesters will not go to Ottawa
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The Convoy 2.0 event will be held in the Manitoba capital, according to a video shared on Christmas Day by Canada Unity group founder James Bauder, who described it as a “very special gift” for Manitoba residents.
Information on the event is therefore already being collected by the state authorities.
“While Manitobans respect the right to peacefully and lawfully protest, the rights of all citizens to live peacefully and to travel without significant disruption must also be respected and protected,” said a spokesman for Manitoba Attorney General Kelvin Goertzen in an e- Mail Wednesday to the Ottawa Citizen.
“Actions by participants at this event that do not comply with these principles will be referred to law enforcement,” he added.
A spokesman for the city of Winnipeg said the city learned of the announcement at the same time as everyone else.
“We will be gathering information and speaking with the police, the province and others over the coming days,” spokesman Colin Fast said in an email to the media.
A few months earlier, the group Canada Unity announced its intention to hold another four-day meeting outside of Ottawa, a situation also being monitored by law enforcement.
Recall that Canadian supporters of the convoy rallied outside the Manitoba Legislative Assembly last February, as well as in several other Canadian cities.