Key Takeaways:
- Two men linked to the ongoing anti-COVID-19 restriction demonstrations have been arrested and face criminal charges, according to Ottawa police.
- According to police, the tipline received eight complaints about the demonstrations, three of which were investigated by the hate crime division.
While the crowd of truckers and some other protesters continues to thin out, Ottawa police have said two men linked to the ongoing anti-COVID-19 restriction demonstrations have been detained and face criminal charges.
According to police, Matthew Dorken, 29, was accused of mischief under $5,000 for an incident that occurred on Saturday involving “mischief to property.”
As per the Ottawa Police Service, Dorken was not detained at the time of the incident “to avoid a larger confrontation.”
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As per police, a second person involved in the protest, Andre Lacasse, 37, was charged on Sunday with trying to bring a weapon to a public meeting.
A convoy of truckers and their supporters arrived in Ottawa on Friday evening to protest COVID-19 restrictions, such as vaccine mandates and staged a multi-day protest on Parliament Hill’s streets.
Some protesters defiled the National War Memorial and other monuments in the city, while the Shepherds of Good Hope, a local shelter, confirmed that some convoy protesters harassed as well as pressured their workers for food over the weekend. Nazi and Confederate flags and other hate symbols were reportedly displayed at the protests.
According to Ottawa police, the inquiry into the desecration of the War Monument has made “some progress.” There are currently 13 active investigations.
The tipline received eight complaints related to the demonstrations, three of which are being explored by the hate crime division, according to police.
The crowd has also reportedly shrunk from the tens of thousands seen over the weekend to around 250 people, including 50 on Parliament Hill.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he “won’t give in” to the protesters’ demands, including lifting all COVID-19 restrictions and calling for Trudeau’s resignation.
“I want to be clear: those who hurl abuse at small company workers and also steal food from the homeless do not intimidate us,” he said.
“We will not bow down to those who wave racist flags. We will not give in to vandals or those who would desecrate the memory of our veterans.”
Protesters have been urged to leave by politicians at all levels of government.
Source: Global News
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