Protests and their effects on Ottawa

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by SidetrackedSue

King Edward is the trucking route between Ottawa and Gatineau. It too is a significant road in Ottawa.

That is where the City has agreed the trucks should park, bringing it down to one lane SB according to the City's Traffic Map. The exit off the MC onto Sussex/GECparkway was also closed off this morning as it was yesterday when the traffic backed up 18km on highway 50.

This morning the Macdonald Cartier bridge was a shitshow when I heard the traffic report at 6 a.m.

Also this morning around 7:30, someone pushed aside the pilons, opening up that exit off the bridge and backup disappeared.

Like you, I'm having a hard time thinking the city isn't supporting the protestors over the interests of the working truckers.

Now the police are tweeting



I'm beyond furious about this.

Interesting someone opened the Sussex exit but i don't think that was a decisive factor. It was open Monday and there a long delay though not 2 hours from Buckingham like yesterday. It does show bridge capacity with further growth will reach capacity.

Its less protesters now.but they seem angrier. More honking today than Monday it seems. Though steady honking is less annoying than intermittant.

[Jimmy Nimby]

Originally Posted by passwordisnt123

It's sad that you fell for that video that went viral in right wing circles during Idle No More. The video tried to suggest that Indigenous people were derailing trains. In fact, Indigenous people didn't derail trains during Idle No More. The video simply showed standard techniques used by railroads across North America used to keep switches from freezing in winter.

I have no problem with any group/cause (including idle no more, blm, truckers, etc.) exercising their right to protest as long as they remain peaceful and don’t break laws. Do you?

Your suggestion that videos clearly showing protesters lighting wood pallets on fire on tracks for approaching trains to ram into is a technique endorsed by rail companies is very enlightening. Thanks. Do they perform this service for free or did the rail company hire them?

[Truenorth00]

I am curious to see whose side the cops take if violence breaks out between downtown residents and protesters. Given reports of harrassment, sexual assault (protesters playing grab ass) and of course the noise, I think it's a matter of time before some residents decide to take them on.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

I am curious to see whose side the cops take if violence breaks out between downtown residents and protesters. Given reports of harrassment, sexual assault (protesters playing grab ass) and of course the noise, I think it's a matter of time before some residents decide to take them on.

I've been thinking about this too.

Central Ottawans tend to be your classic genteel North American urbanites, and almost embody the legendary Canadian reserve and level-headedness.

I don't recall ever seeing so many to them this angry and seething.

It is this siege has triggered that but I think it's a combination of things that led to the buildup. Sign of the times I guess.

(BTW the cops aren't supposed to "take sides".)

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

I am curious to see whose side the cops take if violence breaks out between downtown residents and protesters. Given reports of harrassment, sexual assault (protesters playing grab ass) and of course the noise, I think it's a matter of time before some residents decide to take them on.

There's already been images of residents blocking trucks on streets to prevent them from moving through. Only a matter of time until people take things further. Based on the videos i've seen I wouldn't be able to take a week of the horns blaring.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I don't recall ever seeing so many to them this angry and seething.

Because there's never been a "protest" this disruptive with "protesters" going out of their way to harass locals.

Originally Posted by Acajack

(BTW the cops aren't supposed to "take sides".)

Maybe. But having a press conference where you basically admit that you won't enforce most laws because you think it will lead to escalation, ain't a good look.

To add insult to injury, parking enforcement is actively ticketing residents who have to resort to illegal parking because of the protesters, while doing almost nothing about the protesters blocking streets or parking illegally.

When an ex police chief (who is on the OPS payroll as a consultant) says that this is an "occupation", it's certainly starting to look like OPS is practising selective policing. Especially given their rather aggressive treatment of protests that were far less disruptive. Understandable why many folks think the cops are biased here.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by JHikka

There's already been images of residents blocking trucks on streets to prevent them from moving through. Only a matter of time until people take things further. Based on the videos i've seen I wouldn't be able to take a week of the horns blaring.

I really wouldn't walk near any downtown condos at night if the honking keeps up. I fully expect things to come flying out those condos.

[Truenorth00]

I used to think "Defund the police" was a dumb idea. But I'm coming around to it, given how relatively useless they seem to be proving themselves to be. If they can't protect businesses and residents, with a rather medium sized group of hooligans, I'm inclined to ask what we're paying them for.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

I really wouldn't walk near any downtown condos at night if the honking keeps up. I fully expect things to come flying out those condos.

Glad I no longer live and work in Centretown these days.

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

When an ex police chief (who is on the OPS payroll as a consultant) says that this is an "occupation", it's certainly starting to look like OPS is practising selective policing. Especially given their rather aggressive treatment of protests that were far less disruptive. Understandable why many folks think the cops are biased here.

I don't know how else this can be spun. $800K+ a day to stand around and let them continue occupying downtown?

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by JHikka

I don't know how else this can be spun. $800K+ a day to stand around and let them continue occupying downtown?

The real joke was their statements that they didn't make any arrests because they haven't received many complaints. That's borderline gaslighting....

[phil235]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

I used to think "Defund the police" was a dumb idea. But I'm coming around to it, given how relatively useless they seem to be proving themselves to be. If they can't protect businesses and residents, with a rather medium sized group of hooligans, I'm inclined to ask what we're paying them for.

I'm pretty frustrated at the pace of things, and really don't understand why they tolerated what amounts to public mischief. I agree that sends a terrible message that people in a mob can get away with anything they want, and I worry about what will happen in the next round when an emboldened group comes back. I would have thought that if the protesters are down to 200 or so at this stage, as the police have said, it would be possible to move them out.

That said, I think the police make a pretty easy scapegoat when people are frustrated with a situation. There have been some good interviews with security experts who all emphasize the complexity of these situations, and how easily they can go really wrong. As a layperson with no background in public security, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt, as I'm quite sure I don't understand all of the risks that they are balancing.

[daud]

Livestream with Ottawa Police

https://www.youtube.com/user/cityottawa/live

So far, the one big piece of news divulged: he has said that American groups (unnamed) have funded, helped organize and are in the city. He says there are risks, multiple players, some of whom refuse to even communicate with city and police negotiators

Last Saturday 8-15 Thousand protestors and thousands of trucks.

What remains is highly volitile group...

edit-
This weekend police are expecting a resurgence of protesters including counter protesters.
There have been threats to incite violence

[ortelius]

We live in the Market. We decided to go away for a few days. We can afford it, imagine those who can't. The sight of these thugs is quite intimidating when they are parked right in front of your apartment.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by phil235

That said, I think the police make a pretty easy scapegoat when people are frustrated with a situation. There have been some good interviews with security experts who all emphasize the complexity of these situations, and how easily they can go really wrong. As a layperson with no background in public security, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt, as I'm quite sure I don't understand all of the risks that they are balancing.

When middle aged ladies can band together to defend their street and OPS can't do that, I think it's time to question what the cops are doing.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ruck-1.6335139

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by daud

Livestream with Ottawa Police

https://www.youtube.com/user/cityottawa/live

So far, the one big piece of news divulged: he has said that American groups (unnamed) have funded, helped organize and are in the city. He says there are risks, multiple players, some of whom refuse to even communicate with city and police negotiators

Last Saturday 8-15 Thousand protestors and thousands of trucks.

What remains is highly volitile group...

edit-
This weekend police are expecting a resurgence of protesters including counter protesters.
There have been threats to incite violence

I will be there. We need to stand up to these idiots and make it clear that they do not speak for the majority of Canadians. The dangers of high-fiving them, bringing them blankets, and locals not complaining as it makes them feel like they are some kind of martyrs for a silent majority....which can't be further from the truth!

[daud]

Sloly also keeps mentioning this may not be a police solution-calling it national. I think he is hinting at a military intervention but he isn't saying that.

There is talk on the trucker zello app about bombing parliament with a fertilizer bomb-it was a response to a reporters comment on the American involvement. If anyone goes downtown this weekend, be very careful.

This police conference is really laying out the severity of this situation.

[Truenorth00]

If the cops haven't taken bomb sniffing dogs around to the trucks in front of the Hill or the Rideau Centre, they are incompetent.

[Kitchissippi]

These protesters are lucky Ottawans in general are pretty liberal. I can't imagine if this was in the US, it would have already degraded into a violent situation with the proliferation of guns there.

If I were a premier, I would threaten to suspend the truck and drivers' licenses of those involved. It's all within reason for violating rules of the road, deliberately blocking intersections and such. These licenses are a privilege given by the provincial ministries of transportation after all.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

These protesters are lucky Ottawans in general are pretty liberal. I can't imagine if this was in the US, it would have already degraded into a violent situation with the proliferation of guns there.

From the Coutts, AB blockade:

The RCMP noted that while peaceful assembly is allowed, the demonstrators were contravening federal and provincial laws that forbid anyone from impeding access to critical infrastructure.

This was after RCMP officers were assaulted and their blockade breached.

https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2022/0...rder-standoff/

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

These protesters are lucky Ottawans in general are pretty liberal. I can't imagine if this was in the US, it would have already degraded into a violent situation with the proliferation of guns there.
.

YMMV.

Very liberal Portland, Oregon had something like a full year of nightly (literally) protests downtown after the killing of George Floyd. This involved rioting, street fights, tear gas, looting, fires, vandalism, harassment of passersby, shop and restaurant patrons, and private citizens in and around their homes. There was occasional gunfire and stabbings.

I think a lot of people simply moved out of there.