Ottawa police arrest convoy organizers but others remain defiant
Ottawa police arrest convoy organizers but others remain defiant
Ottawa police made several arrests Thursday evening on Parliament Hill as hundreds of 'Freedom Convoy' protesters continued to ignore demands they leave the city's downtown core.
Reporters on the ground witnessed several people on Parliament Hill being put in handcuffs by police, including convoy organizers Chris Barber and Tamara Lich.
Fellow organizer Pat King confirmed Barber had been arrested. A lawyer representing some of the convoy's organizers confirmed on Twitter that Lich had been detained.
CTV News has learned Barber and Lich will face charges of mischief and counselling to commit mischief.
In video footage posted online of Lich being arrested, she can be heard telling the remaining protesters to "hold the line."
Despite the arrests, many protesters continued to dance in the snow while blasting music as dozens of rigs remained parked in the area.
Protesters have camped out since the end of January on Wellington Street, where Parliament is located, and in surrounding neighbourhoods to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions. In spite of recent court injunctions that were obtained to silence truck horns downtown, many continue to blare their horns.
Large numbers of police officers in yellow vests were seen Wednesday and earlier Thursday handing leaflets to protesters, warning them to leave or face the risk of arrest.
The arrests began hours after the city's interim police chief warned Thursday afternoon that action to remove "Freedom Convoy" demonstrators was "imminent."
Speaking at a press conference, Interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell, who replaced former police chief Peter Sloly this week following his resignation, urged protesters to leave the downtown area.
"We want to end this unlawful protest peacefully and safely," Bell said.
Bell said police from different parts of Ontario and Quebec, as well as the RCMP, have joined Ottawa officers and they are "absolutely committed" to ending the protest.
The city is preparing for its fourth straight weekend of demonstrations, as Environment Canada warns of a winter storm in the Ottawa area, with between 20 and 30 centimetres of snow expected by Friday morning.
Workers have installed new fencing around Parliament to harden the perimeter and police say actions to remove demonstrators and move vehicles that have now been blocking city streets for nearly three weeks will happen over the next couple days.
However, Bell maintained that the upcoming weekend in Ottawa will not look like previous ones.
Bell said there will be a secure area with over 100 checkpoints to make sure only those working and living in the downtown core will be allowed in, as well as those with a "lawful reason" to be in the area, such as a doctor's appointment.
The latest police warnings and arrests come following the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act on Monday, marking the first time it has been used since becoming law in 1988.
Under the act, police say anyone coming to Ottawa to join the protests is breaking the law. However, many demonstrators refuse to leave even under the threat of losing their commercial licences or having their vehicles seized.
Police, members of the federal government and other officials have commonly referred to the protests as an unlawful "occupation" and have warned protesters to go home or face severe consequences.
The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa urged parents on Wednesday to make "necessary alternate care arrangements" should they be separated from their children due to police actions as the Emergencies Act prohibits children from participating in the protests. Ottawa police have repeatedly mentioned the 100 or so children living in the trucks.
Meanwhile, a proposed class-action lawsuit on behalf of Ottawa residents has been expanded to include some businesses as plaintiffs, and is now seeking $306 million from not only truckers but donors and others.
Police hand out a notice to protesters on the 21st day of a protest against COVID-19 measures that has grown into a broader anti-government protest, in Ottawa, on Feb. 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Police hand out a notice to protesters on the 21st day of a protest against COVID-19 measures that has grown into a broader anti-government protest, in Ottawa, on Feb. 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
While the additional powers granted by the act are in effect, including a ban on public assemblies deemed to be unlawful and the ability to freeze protesters' bank accounts without a court order, the House and Senate must confirm the decision to use the legislation.
The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois have said they will not support the motion, while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his caucus supports the use of the Emergencies Act, but only cautiously and with restraint.
Some protesters have called for the ouster of the Liberal government, even offering to work with opposition parties to make that happen. None of the opposition parties have shown any sign that they might consider this offer.
Despite criticism over the need to invoke the Emergencies Act, including from some premiers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau maintains that the federal government is not limiting freedom of expression or the right to peacefully protest, but is rather reinforcing values and institutions that keep Canadians safe.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has also criticized the move and is seeking a judicial review of the government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act.
The group said in a statement that it believes the measures are unconstitutional and will be asking the courts to step in to defend the rule of law and the constitutional rights of all Canadians across the country.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino called the protests illegal and said Ottawa residents have been "terrorized," including those at an apartment building that was the site of an attempted arson.
Mendicino confirmed the blockades in Coutts, Alta., Surrey, B.C., Windsor, Ont. and Emerson, Man. have all been resolved, and an effort to revive a protest at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor was thwarted.
However, a small group of protesters continues to demonstrate outside of the Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg, and another protest is scheduled for this weekend in Quebec City.
BANKS TAKE ACTION TO CEASE FINANCING
During a news conference Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the RCMP has shared the names of individuals, businesses and crypto wallets associated with the protests with banks and accounts have been frozen.
Although she wouldn't confirm how many accounts have been frozen, saying she did not want to "jeopardize" the work of law enforcement, Freeland told reporters that those details will be disclosed in "due course and soon."
As part of the emergency order, the federal government is broadening anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules to cover crowdfunding platforms and their payment services.
Those companies are being required to register with FINTRAC, or the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, and report large and suspicious transactions. Financial institutions also will be able to report anyone believed to be involved in the blockades to the RCMP or Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
The federal government plans to put forward legislation to make the FINTRAC rules permanent.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
Convicted murderer Daniel Jolivet, in prison for the past 30 years, has maintained his innocence since the day he was arrested. W5 reviews the evidence he painstakingly assembled while behind bars.
W5 Producer Shelley Ayres explains how she was in awe to meet what the Guinness Book of World Record's has named the World's Tallest Teenager, a 17-year-old from Quebec who plays for Team Canada.
CTV W5 investigates what authorities knew about plans to smuggle cocaine out of the Dominican Republic on a Toronto-bound Pivot Airlines flight. The airline's crew is demanding justice following their eight-month detention.
Gordie Sampson has written hit songs for some of the biggest names in country music, including Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. CTV W5 speaks with the Grammy winner from small-town Nova Scotia about his creative process.
A CTV W5 investigation reveals that a critical shortage of volunteer firefighters in this country is having a potentially deadly impact, especially in rural Canada.
Sandie Rinaldo tells the story of the largest Black military unit in Canadian history, whose members had to fight to serve for Canada in the First World War as they faced rampant racism at home.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
Ottawa police are praising a local dad for quickly calling for help Sunday afternoon when he accidentally locked his keys in his car, and his infant child along with them.
Ontario Provincial Police say a driver from Augusta Township is facing an impaired driving charge after someone on Highway 416 spotted a vehicle moving erratically.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
Windsor city council voted Monday in favour of adopting a master plan with high hopes for City Hall Square and a so-called civic esplanade stretching down to the river
A united front was on full display Monday as community leaders, politicians, business people, unions and educators gathered together at Windsor City Hall to ensure the NextStar Energy battery plant deal gets closed.
Doctors in their final year of training, called residency, can choose to do a one-month rotation at the Shelter Health Initiative (SHI) caring for Windsor’s homeless population.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
Danielle Smith will return to the Alberta legislature as premier after the United Conservative Party won the provincial election over Rachel Notley's NDP on Monday night, CTV News has declared.
One long-time electoral tradition came to an end on election day, when Postmedia announced there would be no printed newspaper announcing the winner in Calgary.
Danielle Smith will return to the Alberta legislature as premier after the United Conservative Party won the provincial election over Rachel Notley's NDP on Monday night, CTV News has declared.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said Monday he is starting to review the mandate for CBC and its French-language service Radio-Canada, including ways the government can bolster funding to the public broadcaster so it is less reliant on advertising dollars.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek says the Liberal government expects to have a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive by the fall.
Three national health organizations want Canada's premiers to push for initiatives to reduce smoking during settlement negotiations with major tobacco companies, years after provinces sued to recoup health-care costs.
Artificial intelligence means everyone can now be a computer programmer as all they need to do is speak to the computer, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Monday, hailing the end of the 'digital divide.'
North Korea on Monday notified neighbouring Japan that it plans to launch a satellite in coming days, which may be an attempt to put Pyongyang's first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.
China plans to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, in what would be another advance in what's increasingly seen as a new space race pitting the Asian autocracy against the United States and its democratic allies.
Quebec actor Michel Cote, who captivated audiences with his roles in the theatre piece 'Broue' and films such as 'Cruising Bar' and C.R.A.Z.Y.,' has died at 72.
George Maharis, a stage-trained actor with rough-hewn good looks who became an icon to American youth in the 1960s as he cruised the country in a Corvette convertible in the hit television series 'Route 66,' has died.
Turkiye's lira hit fresh record lows against the dollar on Monday, though stocks rallied, after President Tayyip Erdogan secured victory in Sunday's presidential election, extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade.
Canada's main stock index ticked upwards Monday, with broad-based gains led by battery metals and energy stock as U.S. markets were closed for a long weekend south of the border.
The reviews are starting to come in as details emerge about the debt ceiling agreement reached by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Animated movies are often a child’s first exposure to media and film. And the representation of people of color in media influences how they feel about race as they mature, a study by the non-profit Common Sense has found.
From actions in their local communities to mass demonstrations, here's how Canadians from all walks of life are inspiring others to take part in helping the environment.
Authors discuss their new book, 'Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies,' which aims to demystify the process of delivering honest apologies.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
The Philadelphia 76ers went all-in with their NBA championship pursuit on Monday, selecting veteran Nick Nurse as their new coach to try to win the franchise's first title since 1983.
Fernando Alonso has five podiums in six races in a remarkable season for Aston Martin, yet still feels he's no closer to catching Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The two-time Formula One champions now head to a race with special significance for both of them.
Formula One champion Max Verstappen's lights-to-flag victory at the Monaco Grand gave the Red Bull driver his fourth victory of the season and a record 39th overall for the team as he extended his championship lead to 39 points over teammate Sergio Perez on Sunday.
A Tennessee company is refusing demands from U.S. regulators to recall millions of vehicles due to airbag inflators that can explode and shoot shrapnel into drivers. While cases are rare, there has been at least one death in Canada, where officials lack the authority to demand a similarly sweeping recall.
Police hand out a notice to protesters on the 21st day of a protest against COVID-19 measures that has grown into a broader anti-government protest, in Ottawa, on Feb. 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
