Ottawa police are urging trucker convoy protesters to remove their children as they clear out protest sites.
“It still shocks and surprises me that we are seeing children put in harm's way in the middle of a demonstration where a police operation is unfolding,” interim Ottawa police chief Steve Bell said at a press conference Friday afternoon. “We will continue to look after their safety and security, but we implore all the parents who have kids in there, get the kids out of there.”
As police in tactical gear began dismantling COVID-19 mandate demonstrations in Ottawa Friday, some participants were seen bringing small children to the frontlines.
“Protestors have put children between police operations and the unlawful protest site,” Ottawa police tweeted. “The children will be brought to a place of safety.”
Ottawa police previously said that nearly 25 per cent of the 400-plus protest trucks had children living in them. The recently-passed Emergencies Act makes it illegal to bring minors to the “unlawful” protest sites, and is punishable by fines of up to $5,000 and/or up to five years in jail.
“They do not need to be in the middle of this,” Bell said. “It is not a safe place for them.”
Amid the blaring horns and idling engines, parts of the three-week-long protest took on an almost carnival-like atmosphere, with families enjoying karaoke, dancing, a hot tub and even kid-friendly areas equipped with jumping castles, plastic blocks, a giant connect four game and – of course – toy trucks. As police continued to remove and arrest protesters Friday afternoon, the jumping castle fronting Parliament Hill sat in deflated heap.
When it comes to dealing with children at protest sites, interim chief Bell says police “prepared for this and have plans to ensure these children are unharmed during our operation.”
“We’re working continually with Children’s Aid around safety and security of children in the crowds,” he explained. “We developed those plans hoping that we weren’t going to have to use them. I can tell you to this point we have had no need to interact with Children’s Aid as it relates to children within the crowd.”
On Wednesday, the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa urged protesting parents “to make the necessary alternate care arrangements should they become unable to care for their children following potential police action.” In the event a parent is arrested and there is no one to look after their child, they would fall under the care of Children’s Aid.
Police arrested at least 70 people and towed more than 20 vehicles Friday during day one of an operation to end the protests that have clogged Canada’s capital since Jan. 29.
With files from CTVNews.ca Online Politics Producer Rachel Aiello in Ottawa
