OTTAWA — Police arrested seven "Rolling Thunder" protestors in Ottawa Friday after a small convoy of vehicles attempted to make their way toward Parliament Hill as part of a rally expected to continue throughout the weekend.
The Ottawa Police Service said 24 vehicles had been towed as of Friday night. As of Saturday morning, city officials said by-law officers had issued 417 tickets and towed 30 vehicles in connection with the rally.
"There are several events planned for this weekend in Ottawa. Police will be monitoring them to ensure the peace is maintained," said a tweet Saturday morning from the Ottawa Police Service.
Protesters arrived in the city on Friday afternoon as part of the "Rolling Thunder" rally, organized by Freedom Fighters Canada, a group dedicated to speaking out against COVID-19 mandates. Many of the demonstrators were also part of the "Freedom Convoy" demonstration that seized the capital for weeks in February in protest of vaccine mandates, COVID-19 restrictions and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The protest is expected to continue Saturday with a convoy of hundreds of motorcycles through downtown, with a stop at the National War Memorial, before moving to Parliament Hill for another rally. OC Transpo, the city's public transit agency, tweeted Saturday it was increasing its on-the-ground presence to support customers and "ensure the safety of our front-line staff." On Friday night, the agency tweeted the Rideau Centre, a three-level shopping mall in the heart of downtown, was closed because of the rally.
The protest began relatively calmly on Parliament Hill Friday but as night fell, a line of big-rigs, campers and other trucks made their way into the downtown core. Protesters gathered around the trucks, and police in tactical gear formed a line and faced them down.
Seven people were arrested on various charges, including assaulting police, the Ottawa Police Service said. At least one truck also had its windows broken.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2022.
The Canadian Press
