‘Rolling Thunder Ottawa’ – Day 1: Police dealing with ‘aggressive crowd’ on Rideau
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Ottawa – April 28, 2022 – Road Closed sign in Ottawa near Parliament Hill, April 28, 2022. Assignment 137452 Photo by Jean Levac/Postmedia Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia Article content
8:26 p.m.
Ottawa police say officers are being deployed in helmets and shields due to an “escalation of crowd aggression” at Rideau Street and Sussex.
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Police say this is for the protection of the officers.
Due to an escalation of crowd aggression, officers are deployed in helmets and shields for their protection in order to clear the crowd at Rideau and Sussex.
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) April 30, 2022 Advertisement 3
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8:05 p.m.
Ottawa police say they’ve closed access to the exclusion zone downtown.
Officers are only permitting emergency vehicles into the area, according to police.
ROAD CLOSURES: Due to public safety, no vehicles will be permitted inside the motor vehicle exclusion zone except for emergency vehicles at this time.
Expect traffic delays in the downtown core.#otttraffic #ottawa
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) April 29, 2022 Advertisement 4
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8 p.m.
If the rally held on Parliament Hill was an accurate preview of what Ottawa resident can expect this weekend, this weekend will be no replay of the Freedom Convoy.
Crowds on Wellington Street were sparse and most of the lawn in front of the House of Commons was empty as police and bylaw crackdowns on stopping and noise appears to be working.
“They have set the tone already with their ridiculous new rules and regulations and blocking the streets,” said one protest supporter who declined to be named.
“They’re up to their old tricks, I guess. We’ll see how this goes.”
7:55 p.m.
We’re aware of a large crowd congregated on Rideau Street. Police are on scene and managing public safety. Please avoid the area. #ottawa #otttraffic
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) April 29, 2022 Advertisement 5
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Ottawa police are asking people to avoid Rideau Centre near Parliament Hill due to a “large crowd” in the area.
Police said they are on the scene and “managing public safety.”
In a later tweet, police said they are dealing with an “aggressive crowd on Rideau Street,” with additional officers being “deployed to assist.”
A photo from a city traffic camera shows a number of people walking on the street near the intersection with Sussex.
7:32 p.m.
A group of more than 75 Ottawa residents gathered in Strathcona park Friday evening to band together and project community solidarity in the face of the “Rolling Thunder” rally.
The gathering, billed as an “Unwelcoming Party,” united community members who wanted to share their opposition to the ideology that brought the “Freedom Convoy” to Ottawa in January and which, attendees said, was the same motivation behind “Rolling Thunder.”
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“I think what’s motivating these people isn’t what they say it is,” said Brian Latour, one of the organizers of the gathering, in a speech that drew applause from the crowd.
“I think it’s a bunch of people who are angry that the world doesn’t conform to their own narrow-minded views but they know that it’s socially unacceptable to say what they actually think so instead it comes out as just rage and utter nonsense. ”
7:15 p.m.
Ontario Provincial Police have closed the eastbound Highway 417 exit at Lees Avenue due to a “traffic backup.” The official OPP account for the East region says people have parked on Lees blocking the street.
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Earlier in the evening, Ottawa police said they were monitoring a convoy in the Hunt Club and Conroy and would prevent them from entering the downtown core.
Already today, Ottawa By-law officers issued 185 tickets and towed 20 vehicles in connection with the special event no stopping zones set up due to the motorcycle protest.
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4:15 p.m.
Ottawa police are warning people participating in convoys heading to the city that they will be “diverted.”
The city force said on Twitter that it was aware of several convoys on route to Ottawa, but stressed that drivers will not be able to stop or remain on “area roadways.”
We’re aware of several vehicle convoys headed to the Ottawa area. Please be advised that your convoy will be diverted and you will not be able to stop or remain on area roadways.
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3:40 p.m.
Although motorcycles and other vehicles will be rumbling through the downtown core this weekend as part of the “Rolling Thunder” convoy, it doesn’t appear that businesses in the area will be shutting their doors.
Steve Ball, president of the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association, said because this weekend’s demonstration is expected to bring a smaller crowd into the city, there’s no reason for hotels in the core to do anything differently.
“It’s not like they’re selling out the city, it’s a small footprint,” said Ball. “I think it’s business as usual until it’s not.”
During the “Freedom Convoy” occupation in February several hotels across Ottawa reached full capacity and were forced to halt reservations. When asked if he’s expecting to see anything similar this time around, Ball said it’s unlikely.
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“There might be some disruptors, but until they’re here, we just don’t know,” he said. “I’d be very surprised if this went sideways (…) I don’t see any similarities except for some of the personalities (involved).”
As of Friday afternoon, many restaurants, cafés and surrounding shops in the downtown core were also expected to remain open to the public
3:30 p.m.
Ottawa By-law is warning drivers against parking in no stopping zones set up in advance of the planned “Rolling Thunder” protest.
In a post on Twitter, the by-law service says vehicles parked in these areas, set up in the city’s core, will be “ticketed and towed.”
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11:30 a.m.
Another group of people planning to gather in Ottawa on Saturday say they will line various city streets to link hands, wave flags and form a “unity chain.”
Posts on the The Ottawa Unity Chain Facebook page explain that the organization is independent from “Rolling Thunder” but the two groups have spoken about how to help each other. Some participants in the chain are expected to head down to the Parliament Hill rally on Saturday afternoon, which is promoted on the Unity Chain page.
People from several towns outside Ottawa have formed “convoys” to come to Ottawa for the chain, but it’s unclear how large the event will be.
The goal, according to the Facebook page, is to “to spread as much peace love and patriotism to fellow Canadians as possible.”
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In Ottawa, the group has streets identified in 15 zones. They have asked people to go to a designated street around noon, wave flags and at 1 p.m. join hands and sing O Canada. At 1:15 p.m. there will be a moment of silence for “world peace.”
One of the routes starts at Bronson and Gladstone avenues, heads down Gladstone to Kent, then north to Wellington Avenue and east to the Portage bridge. That cuts through the downtown zone police have identified as excluding protest-related vehicles. However, foot traffic is allowed.
Organizers have urged participants to find legal street parking near their route.
They advise people to bring noisemakers and Canadian flags, but no alcohol or “Fu** Trudeau” signs, and say hateful speech, behaviours, signs or flags are not welcome.
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11:20 a.m.
Ottawa police say officers are in place throughout the downtown area and are “keeping eyes on movement within downtown.”
Police, though, are still permitting vehicles with valid business purposes to enter the exclusion zone outside of Parliament Hill.
“Today is a regular business day so you can expect to see vehicles and trucks who have business within the vehicle exclusion zone,” police said in a statement.
Meanwhile, The Good Companions, which supports seniors and adults with physical disabilities, said that it would close in-person programming Friday due to the expected arrival of the motorcycle convoy.
All virtual programs would continue.
Also, a group that livestreamed from a shed during the “Freedom Convoy” protest earlier this year is set to return to the city for the biker protest this weekend.
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Live from the Shed, which has been promoting and publicizing “Rolling Thunder” events, said it will livestream from its namesake shed on Saturday from the St. Laurent Shopping Centre.
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10:17 a.m.
Friday dawned with a vehicle exclusion zone in effect downtown as the capital readied for hundreds of motorcycles and riders to arrive for the weekend Rolling Thunder Ottawa event.
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The city’s bylaw department said it was ready to start ticketing and towing in new no-stopping zones at 7 a.m. Friday morning — and later warned that setting off fireworks isn’t allowed. City staff were spotted putting up new no-parking signs Thursday.
The vehicle exclusion zone, which went into effect Thursday evening, aims to “maintain business continuity and ease the flow of traffic while ensuring public safety and security above all,” city hall said.
Motor vehicles taking part in a demonstration, event, protest or rally aren’t allowed within the zone with barricades, heavy equipment or police officers and their vehicles at access points to “filter lawful traffic onto those streets.”
“The roads are not closed — normal traffic circulation is permitted,” city hall said, adding other vehicles, pedestrians and cycles and get through.
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No charges for convoy Tomb dancer, police say 
Egan: No bouncy castles, no hot tubs at Rolling Thunder. This time we mean it. There’s no on-street parking or stopping in the purple zone (see map) but it’s allowed in the yellow area for vehicles that aren’t part of a demonstration, event, rally or protest, such as those of people heading to businesses in the area or who live there.
Parking in the zone is available in lots and garages within the yellow zone — but plan ahead, they may be busy, the city said.
“Public transit is an excellent choice for travel into and out of the core April 29 through May 1.”
Community Solidarity Ottawa will be holding an “Unwelcoming Party” Friday to greet what they dubbed “Convoy 2.0.” The event organized by the coalition of community groups, residents and unions is at Strathcona Park in Sandy Hill from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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“We have chosen Strathcona Park to show support for and solidarity with Vanier, Overbrook and Sandy Hill residents who were deeply affected by the February occupation,” CSO said.
Ottawa police said Thursday they will allow Rolling Thunder to cruise near the National War Memorial on Saturday, but not to stop.
Acting Police Chief Steve Bell repeated that city streets downtown will be closed to vehicles that are part of the events from Friday to Sunday.
The vehicle exclusion zone includes the area near the National War Memorial, where a Rolling Thunder ceremony is planned for Saturday morning.
However, Bell also described an approved route that dips into the exclusion zone and passes nearby the War Memorial.
The motorcycle route begins in the Conroy Road area — organizers have said they plan to gather at St. Laurent shopping centre — heads down Montreal Road, Rideau Street and Waller Street before heading across the Mackenzie King Bridge, turning south on Elgin Street, east on Laurier Avenue West, down Nicholas Street and to Highway 417.
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Proposed Saturday morning route: 1: Starting at St Laurent shopping centre, 2: Heading North on Vanier Parkway, 3: Turning on Montreal Road, 4: Merging onto Rideau street, 5: South on Waller Street, 6: Over MacKenzie King Bridge, 7: South on Elgin, 8: East on Laurier Avenue West, 9: Turning onto Nicholas street, 10: Merging onto Highway 417. Graphic by Nicole Feriancek/ Postmedia
Bell said Wednesday that police prefer an approved route rather than allowing the bikers to drive around in an unorganized way.
Both Bell and Mayor Jim Watson have assured residents that they will not allow a repeat of the “Freedom Convoy” protest that occupied downtown streets for three weeks this winter.
Extra officers have been recruited — including up to 800 from the RCMP — along with the OPP and other municipal police forces, and there will be zero tolerance of illegal activity, hate speech and traffic or bylaw violations, officials warned.
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According to “Rolling Thunder Ottawa” organizers, Friday’s events include a march and rally on Parliament Hill starting at 6 p.m.
Saturday’s events include a ceremony at the National War Memorial, bikers gathering at St. Laurent Shopping Centre for a loop through the city, and a rally on Parliament Hill with “special guest” Chris Sky. The prominent anti-mask and mandate protester has been arrested multiple times across Canada and criticized by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network for anti-Semitic, racist, Islamophobic and homophobic statements.
The key organizer of Rolling Thunder distanced himself from the rally featuring Sky.
On Sunday, there’s a scheduled service at the “biker’s church” in Vanier.
READ MORE COVERAGE PREVIEWING THE ‘ROLLING THUNDER’ MOTORCYCLE CONVOY:
with files from Jacquie Miller, Megan Gillis and Miranda Caley
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