'Freedom Convoy 2.0' being planned for February 2023
An organizer of the 'Freedom Convoy' says he's planning a reunion in Ottawa in February.
James Bauder, the founder of Canada Unity, a group that called for an end to all vaccine mandates, posted on Facebook calling for a 'Freedom Convoy 2.0' Feb. 17 to 21 in Ottawa.
"Bookmark these dates," Bauder said in the post. "Freedom Convoy Reunion theme will be the 'Olive Branch Edition.'"
Bauder was arrested on Feb. 20 in Ottawa as police cleared the occupation, which gridlocked the city's downtown for three weeks. He is facing charges of mischief to obstruct property, disobeying a lawful court order and obstructing a peace officer.
He was released under a condition not to return to downtown Ottawa.
Bauder's Facebook post about the Freedom Convoy 2.0 plans calls for a two-week "Canada Unity-Fest" in February 2023.
"The simple fact is we can't have Unity without Reconciliation which has to come from "We The People " and not from our Gov.," he wrote. "Let's be grown-ups and start addressing the root of division, discrimination, and segregation in Canada by changing our focus away from division to that of one word 'UNITY.'"
An Ottawa police spokesperson said the service is aware of Bauder's Facebook post.
"The Ottawa Police Service is aware of information posted to social media channels," the spokesperson said in an email. "The Ottawa Police continually monitors for upcoming events, protests, and demonstrations that may impact the City. Once identified we plan accordingly in a collaborative manner with our City partners and other agencies."
Bauder was among the convoy organizers who testified earlier this month at the commission investigating the government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in response to the Ottawa occupation and blockades at the U.S. border.
In October 2021, before the convoy protests took over downtown Ottawa, he staged a much smaller protest called the 'Convoy for Freedom.'
The fewer than 100 protesters flouted public health rules in stores and restaurants and planned to blockade streets in front of the prime minister and governor general's residences.
Bauder told the commission that he delivered a "memorandum of understanding" to the Senate and the Governor General on that trip.
His hope was that they would agree to work with his group to overthrow COVID-19 measures and ask the prime minister to step down for "committing treason and crimes against humanity." He later withdrew the memorandum on Feb. 8, he testified.
Bauder told an Ottawa courtroom last month he planned to apply to change the venue for his criminal trial. A one-day hearing to hear that application was scheduled for Feb. 3, 2023.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.