Good Cop, Bad Cop

Didn’t want our kids to have a bad view of policemen.

Part 1: I Need To Be There
Part 2: Ministering Angels
Part 3: Rice and Beans
Part 4: We Were Not In This Alone
Part 5: Good Cop, Bad Cop
Part 6: Everybody United for Freedom

Andrew and Julie with their children and friends. Photo supplied by Julie.

During the time they spend feeding the truckers in Ottawa, Julie and Andrew are concerned about their kids. “I didn’t want them to have a bad view of policemen,” says Julie. “I didn’t want them to have a tainted view of cops. And they were getting that.”

She hastens to add that many of their interactions with law enforcement were positive, and that some officers “were very helpful.” One even apologized to them. When they first arrived in Ottawa, they brought diesel to parked trucks via Jerry cans in wheelbarrows. At one point, they were told they weren’t allowed to do so near Parliament Hill:

So we were unloading the fuel and the police officer came up and said, ‘You can’t bring the fuel up there.’

And I said, ‘OK, sorry, I misunderstood. I thought it was OK.’

He said, ‘Nope, you can’t do that.’

I said, ‘No worries, Sir. We’ll just help fuel the trucks along here, then.’ Because there were trucks down all the side streets. ‘We’ll help the ones down here.’

The officer left, but soon returned:

He had a mask on and he had tears in his eyes. I think he pulled down his mask if I can recall because I remember seeing his face. And he said, ‘I’m sorry. I’ve been misinformed. You can go up to the front and bring the diesel.’ He said ‘I’ve just been on call for a lot of days and haven’t seen my kids.’

And I was like: Oh man, that guy needs a hug. He was so exhausted. So you had to have a heart for those guys.

…Some of the cops were torn, and you could so see it.

Here’s another quote from Julie:

In the very beginning we were delivering fuel and the kids were all helping. We were actually on the news one time. There was a picture of my son pulling his wagon, because at that point we had a wagon from somebody else, pulling the wagon and we had Jerry cans.

And on the news it said ‘Most of the protesters have left [Ottawa]. All that’s left is a small group of determined and volatile demonstrators.’

And right as they said that, up came a picture of our family. And I’m like: Are you kidding me? So we’re now ‘determined and volatile demonstrators?’ Thanks, media.

next installment: Everybody United for Freedom