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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.