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Originally Posted by Truenorth00
This is the first one that forced the Rideau Centre and some other businesses to close and saw "protestors" harass residents all over the city. What other protests have forced school closures?
Ultimately, the question is whether we consign this to a unique event, or whether we let it become a precedent.
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An honest question: What do you want the police to do?
Preempt? Barricade the city? Ban all protests?
Had the police started arresting people as they rolled into the city (On what charges?) it would have likely turned ugly as social media would have caused the protestors to regroup in a chaotic way. They might have turned their ire on somewhere not expecting it. At least Ottawa knew what was coming; had the mob descended on somewhere else (Montreal, Toronto, Kingston) not prepared, it might be uglier.
I don’t approve of the mob, but heavy handed tactics are generally their own reward. By letting the mob freeze and thin out, the police can clear the more extreme elements with less risk of a riot.