Kelowna Daily Courier

Police bracing for the worst

By MIA RABSON

— Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says nobody wants a planned anti-vaccination protest on Parliament Hill this weekend to turn into a violent attempt to overthrow the government and warned people not to dismiss the protesters as simple freedom fighters.

Several thousand people are expected in Ottawa as early as today as part of the Canada Unity group demanding an end to vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions. Some of the group’s leaders are calling for a peaceful event, but statements from some associated with the group have included threats of violence.

Mendicino said multiple police forces — including the Ottawa Police Service, RCMP and Parliamentary Protective Service — are co-ordinating the response and are making decisions independent of any government involvement.

Ottawa police warned Thursday they won’t tolerate criminal behaviour.

“Police and our partners are focused on pro- viding a safe environment for the community and demonstrators,” the Ottawa Police Service said on Twitter.

“We are aware of inappropriate and threatening language on social media related to this event. We welcome peaceful demonstrations. That said, public safety is paramount — there will be consequences for persons engaging in criminal conduct, violence and/or activities promoting hate.”

The road in front of Parliament Hill is to be closed to general traffic, with two lanes reserved for the convoy and two for emergency vehicles.

Buildings in the Parliamentary district are being closed and locked except for essential staff as of Friday and workers warned of threats of physical damage. Christian Laplante, an asset manager at Public Services and Procurement Canada, also said “vulnerable areas on Crown sites are being secured as a precautionary measure.”

“There are some security concerns regarding the anticipated energy and disruptive goals of this convoy,” he wrote Friday to people with offices in government buildings in the area. “Please be prepared to secure your operations as you see fit.”

Patrick McDonell, the sergeant-at-arms in charge of House of Commons security, wrote to MPs Thursday warning of reports some demonstrators were seeking out home addresses for MPs in Ottawa. He said if their homes or constituency offices are targeted they should not engage, close and lock all exterior doors and get somewhere safe.

“If the situation becomes volatile and your security is at risk, call 911 and consider evacuating your location,” he said.

The protest was spawned after truckers stopped being exempted from the vaccine mandate at the Canadian border on Jan. 15. It means non-Canadian truckers won’t be allowed in unless they are vaccinated and unvaccinated Canadians need to quarantine for two weeks after delivering their load.

The U.S. policy preventing unvaccinated Canadian truckers from entering the U.S. took effect Jan. 22. Canada Unity’s website includes a “memorandum of understanding” demanding Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and the Senate join with them to order the federal and all provincial and territorial governments to lift any remaining COVID-19 restrictions, waive all fines and cancel “illegal” vaccine passports.

There is nothing in the Constitution allowing for such orders to occur and Mendicino said nobody should “trivialize the organizers’ distorted claims that this is a protest about freedom.”

“It’s not,” he said Thursday in an interview. “It’s about a fringe group, many of whom are not truckers, who are spreading lies, about vaccines, about health workers, and frankly, about the media. And the vast majority of Canadians reject those extremist views. And they understand that if we really want to safeguard our freedoms and vaccines and vaccine mandates are the best way to get ourselves out of the pandemic.”

Canada Unity organizer Tamara Lich, a member of the Maverick Party, which advocates for greater autonomy for Western Canada or its separation from the country, has urged people to remain peaceful and asked convoy participants to report anyone inciting violence or spouting hatred.

But there are links between some convoy participants and white supremacist ideology, and in one YouTube video, that has since been taken down, one man pushed for the protest to become a repeat of the riot that overtook the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., a year ago.

In another video posted on the group’s Facebook page Thursday one supporter said “failure is not an option. Surrender is not an option.”

Mendicino said there are bright lines around hate speech, lies and calls for violence that cannot be measured as free speech or legitimate protest.

“I think there has to be a very clear point of departure from what is free speech and expression and the kind of incitement to encourage others to take up arms, to create a Jan. 6 riot type event here in Canada,” he said. “And there needs to be a very bright line of condemnation and denunciation around that.”

Vancouver radio talk show host Jas Johal and Kelowna-Mission MLA Renee Merrifield are battling on Twitter again.

Johal lashed out at Merrifield for issuing a statement that included support for truckers now driving across the country who oppose a requirement they be vaccinated to cross the border.

“The Truckers rally currently driving across Canada is what happens when politicians have lost sight of common sense solutions and have turned instead to divisive language. In a time when inflation is rising, supply chains are already under incredible stress, and we have many tools in our arsenal to combat the spread of COVID … making no accommodations for these truckers makes no sense,” wrote Merrifield.

Merrifield also questioned why B.C. was extending its vaccine passport system to June 1. “When polls show that 1/3 of British Columbians are struggling with their mental health because of COVID and 1/4 report being depressed why wouldn’t we look to reduce restrictions, and allow people to be together again?”

In a series of nine tweets on the social media site, Johal, a former BC Liberal MLA, wrote: “This is an incredibly irresponsible email to be sending out for any elected official, never mind somebody like (Renee Merrifield) who is running for the leadership of the BC Liberal Party.

“Ms. Merrifield joins Conservative MP’s, in playing footsie with a fringe movement of anti-vaxxers, and anti-establishment types,” he added in his third tweet.

“Whoever wins the leadership race, must never let Ms. Merrifield near the Health portfolio ever again,” he concluded.

Merrifield responded: “This is the third time this media personality has taken a run at me, and made disparaging remarks about my character. I’ve never spoken to this ‘man.’ Despite repeated offers to speak him about his unprovoked attacks, he has not once returned my call.”

The truckers convoy Merrifield supports was launched to oppose a federal government requirement that truckers must be vaccinated to enter Canada. The United States is implementing the same rule at its border crossings.

In November, Johal was one of many who criticized Merrifield for comments she made at a leadership debate, accusing the NDP of a lack of diversity.

CHILLY.

en-ca

2022-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

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