Former Ottawa police board member says he did nothing wrong attending 'Freedom Convoy' protest
A former member of the Ottawa Police Services Board insists he did nothing wrong when he attended the "Freedom Convoy" demonstration, saying he wanted to better understand the "growing frustration" being felt by many Canadians during the pandemic.
Robert Swaita was one of three provincial appointees to the police oversight board that resigned on Wednesday, hours after it was reported Swaita attended the demonstration that gridlocked the downtown core for more than three weeks.
Swaita says he attended the protest on two occasions when the demonstration against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other public health measures first arrived in Ottawa the weekend of Jan. 28.
"I want to be crystal clear - I did nothing wrong," Swaita said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
"I attended the protest on two occasions when the convoy first arrived in Ottawa. I shared this, and my frustrations, in conversations with the Chair and Vice Chair of the OPSB at the time - well before the protest was declared illegal.
"As a private citizen of Ottawa and a member of the OPSB, I wanted to better understand the growing frustration that was being felt by many Canadians to better undertake my duties as an OPSB member and a concerned citizen."
Swaita notes he went on a police ride-along during the demonstration to "better gauge" the challenges faced by officers.
"I unequivocally condemn any racist or destructive behaviour. I never attended the protest after it was declared illegal, and I never made donations," Swaita wrote.
When contacted by CTV News Ottawa Wednesday afternoon, Swaita declined to comment on whether or not he attended the Freedom Convoy protests or if his restaurant, KS on the Keys, donated food to the truckers.
Swaita was appointed to the Ottawa Police Services Board in March 2020 for a three-year term. He ran for councillor in the riding of Gloucester-Southgate in the 2018 election, coming in second to Coun. Diane Deans.
Swaita said he submitted his resignation following the "recent events" and the resignation of Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly and the dismissal of Deans as chair of the board.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.