Proposed ‘election convoy’ protest in Ottawa appears to be cancelled after police warn of zero tolerance for ‘slow roll’

Trucks participating in the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' protest are pictured on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

It appears a convoy-style protest that was set to take place in Ottawa this weekend has been cancelled.

The protest was intended to demand Prime Minister Justin Trudeau call an immediate federal election in the wake of his resignation and the prorogation of Parliament. Social media posts from organizers said the protest in Ottawa was to take place Saturday.

There was confusion on the Facebook group for the event Friday after word the lead organizer for the Ottawa protest quit, but a post said the “slow roll” was still expected to go ahead. That post has since been deleted.

New posts on the “Official Election Now Slowroll 2025″ page now say a meetup in Arnprior, Ont., to the west of Ottawa, is cancelled and organizers are now suggesting people attend Ottawa to protest on foot with signs.

It was never clear how many people were planning to participate in the proposed convoy protest and it’s still unknown how many will demonstrate on foot on Saturday.

According to reporting from ConvoyWatch, organizers had proposed a “slow roll” protest going 60 km/h along Highway 417 to bring attention to their cause by causing traffic jams.

Police services, including the Ottawa Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have said there will be zero tolerance for protests that block or inhibit traffic.

The Ottawa Police Service said it is fully committed to ensuring public safety and maintaining order during any demonstration.

“There is zero tolerance for unlawful behaviour,” police said in an email.

An Ottawa police website about protesting in the capital has a list of restrictions, including blocking or obstructing a highway, breaching the peace, and causing a disturbance.

“We make every attempt to contact organizers of demonstrations in advance to ensure a safe event for participants and the public at large. We continue monitoring for potential vehicle-based protests in or travelling through Ottawa in the coming days,” police said. “Although we do not have specific information to indicate that there will be large-scale demonstrations or protests in Ottawa, we have resources available to address any scenario.”

OPP, whose jurisdiction includes the 417, said that while they respect the right to protest, they do not “condone or facilitate roadway or highway rolling blocks or slowdowns.”

“Slow-moving traffic resulting from a protest on a major highway can result in serious collisions and is a danger to the public,” said OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

“Slow-rolling traffic on the highway is also illegal. The Criminal Code includes a section {423(1)(g)} that states ‘no one has the right to block or disrupt traffic on public highways.’ The Highway Traffic Act (section 132) also prohibits dangerously or unnecessarily slow driving. Even if someone isn’t charged during a protest, charges can be laid later.”

In past protests linked to the “Freedom Convoy” movement, Ottawa police and Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services have instituted no-stopping policies in the downtown core. While Ottawa police would not share operational plans for security reasons, a spokesperson did confirm to CTV News Ottawa that vehicle-based protests remain prohibited downtown.

An older statement on the “Official Election Now Slowroll 2025” Facebook group said their event was not meant to be a repeat of the original Freedom Convoy, which blocked off and occupied downtown Ottawa streets for three weeks before a massive police push removed them, following the invocation of the federal Emergencies Act – a first in Canadian history.

“We are aware of the public’s concerns regarding the upcoming protest,” the post said. “To clarify, this event is not a recreation of the original Freedom Convoy and will not involve blockades or any form of obstruction to public infrastructure or essential services.”

Now, it appears, it won’t take place at all.

The protest has been disavowed by leaders of the 2022 Freedom Convoy, including Chris Barber, whose criminal trial related to the three-week protest in Ottawa is set to deliver a verdict in March.

“Innocent people will get hurt again,” he said on X, in response to a post calling the protest a “bad idea on so many different levels.”