Government to Blame for Ottawa 'Occupation'

There’s only one reason the Freedom Convoy protest didn't end quickly: the contemptuous response of the authorities.

Both the City of Ottawa and its former police chief filed closing submissions with the Emergencies Act inquiry (see here and here). One particular word - an unusual one - is used extensively in both of these documents. That word is occupation.

The position of Ottawa’s civic and police officials amounts to:

This started out as a normal protest and then unexpectedly became an occupation. No one warned us this was going to be an occupation. We wouldn’t have let those trucks anywhere near downtown if we’d known they wouldn’t be leaving within a day or two.

Chief Peter Sloly’s submission uses the word occupation 123 times. For him, this is not an incidental theme. It’s absolutely central to how he thinks about these events. Yet many months after he became the fall guy, he still hesistates to say the bleeping obvious out loud: someone had the power to dissolve this protest in a trice, but it wasn’t the police.

When convoy participants climbed into their big rigs and headed to Ottawa they themselves had no idea they were about to become part of a three-week standoff. That was never part of the plan. The Ontario truckers I’ve personally interviewed thought they were going for the weekend. In many cases, their wives and kids were in those trucks alongside them. When two aircraft mechanics loaded up a camper van and joined the convoy (after facing vaccine coersion in their workplace), the last thing they expected was that they’d be sleeping in that van for three weeks.

There’s one reason and one reason only why this protest became an extended standoff: the contemptuous response of the authorities. A federal government that meets with professional lobbyists on 24,000 occasions a year had no valid rationale for refusing to meet with the truckers.

You want these people to leave? You want life in downtown Ottawa to return to normal? There’s a simple solution. Talk to them. Make them feel like their concerns have been heard. Do something, anything that allows them to depart with their heads held high.

Instead, Canada’s oh-so-inclusive Prime Minister hurled insults at these people. He called them ugly names. Journalists could have performed a public service by demanding the PM behave like a grownup. Instead, they’ve spent the past year pretending his petulance makes sense.

The three-week ‘occupation’ of Ottawa was entirely government-induced. It was wholly unnecessary, could easily have been avoided, and could have been brought to a speedy end at any point during those three weeks.

The little people had had enough. They were tired of their concerns being ignored. So they joined together and drove to Ottawa. Where they were once again told Be gone, peasant! We don’t dialogue with the likes of you.

Bill came to Canada from Holland as a baby. He spent three weeks parked directly in front of Parliament Hill, being showered with thank you cards and letters. This book showcases some of the messages he received from the public. On Amazon here. Book website here