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
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'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.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.