Canada: After Freedom Convoy, Ottawa braces for bikers’ rally

Just over two months after the truckers’ protest occupied the city, Ottawa, the Canadian capital, is bracing for a bikers’ rally this weekend.

The rally is being organised by the group calling itself Rolling Thunder, which has partnered with entities like Veterans for Freedom and Freedom Fighters Canada. Over 500 bikers are expected to arrive in Ottawa on Friday evening for the events scheduled for the weekend.

Organisers haven’t outlined an agenda except that the rally will be for “freedom” and to pay their regards at the War Memorial in Ottawa. However, they appear to be supportive of the Freedom Convoy protests that crippled Ottawa in February before the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had to resort to the draconian measure of imposing an emergency to end the civil disobedience.

In a statement released on April 25, Rolling Thunder Ottawa said that “as seen during the lawful protest in Ottawa, spread as much peace, love and patriotism to your fellow Canadians as possible”.

However, it added that they “do not support blockades, obstruction of police performing their duties, damage to property, or hate & vitriol directed to the residents of Ottawa”.

It also said that participants should be cognisant of any attempt to subvert the rally and report any unlawful activity to police as it said, “During the lawful Truckers Convoy protest there were clear attempts by provocateurs, saboteurs and embellishers to tarnish the peaceful and loving movement.”

The Ottawa Police Service has already said it will not allow a replay of events in February and has introduced an “exclusion zone” in the city’s downtown core, including Parliament Hill and will not allow vehicles to collect at the War Memorial.

In a statement on Thursday, Ottawa’s acting police chief Steve Bell said “the focus” of their plan will be on “public safety, maintaining the right to protest and enforcing all applicable laws. We continue to monitor online, and open-source commentary related to all events. Threatening or intimidating behaviours will be addressed with all appropriate enforcement action”.

The rally comes even as controversy continues over the emergency invoked by the Trudeau government in February. The imposition of the Emergencies Act, for the first time ever since it was enacted in 1988, was revoked just nine days after its was announced on February 14 and before it could be ratified by Parliament.

That controversial step, criticised by civil liberties groups, will now be reviewed by a Public Order Emergency Commission, with a commissioner appointed by the Trudeau government. Its mandate, to “examine the circumstances that led to the declaration being issued and the measures taken in response to the emergency” is already facing flak.

As Trudeau announced a judge will be the commissioner, and the formation of the Commission, the country’s leading rights group, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said, in a statement, said, “The government’s remarks demonstrate that they are hoping for an inquiry that will look primarily at the actions of the protesters. But the requirement to call an inquiry was put into the Emergencies Act to ensure a robust examination of the government’s use of emergency powers. The broader context is important, but the government’s attempts to divert attention from their own actions is concerning.”

It also said it plans to continue with its litigation opposing the use of emergency powers by the Trudeau government.