'Zero tolerance': Ottawa Bylaw takes down table set up near Parliament ahead of Canada Day protests
Ottawa Bylaw says it ordered a small group of people to remove a table they had set up on Wellington Street in front of Parliament in advance of expected protests on Canada Day.
In a tweet, Ottawa Bylaw said the tables were ordered removed on Monday.
“There is zero tolerance for the placement of tables or any materials (including tents) that are encumbering sidewalks or roads during the upcoming protests,” the tweet said.
However, bylaw went on to say no charges were laid because the people with the table complied with the request to remove it.
A photo shared by Ottawa Bylaw shows a white table set up next to a sign that appears to reference ‘Freedom Convoy’ leader Pat King and the words “the line,” though part of the sign was obscured by a lamppost. The phrase “hold the line” was a rallying cry for the occupiers last winter as they were being pushed out of the downtown core by police.
“While we respect the fundamental right to protest, we ask in return that protesters respect residents of the City of Ottawa by following all municipal regulations,” Ottawa Bylaw said.
Groups have announced plans to protest in Ottawa against remaining COVID-19 public health protections and against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.
This comes as Ottawa police prepare for what they have called an “unprecedented” Canada Day.
With the main stage at LeBreton Flats this year because of a large pit on Parliament Hill due to construction, Ottawa police say their downtown footprint on Canada Day will span roughly three kilometres from the Flats to the ByWard Market. Hundreds of RCMP officers are being brought in to bolster the local police force. A vehicle control zone is also being established.
Speaking on CTV News at Noon, interim Ottawa police chief Steve Bell said officers will be ready to respond to any attempts to occupy the city again and people should feel safe to celebrate Canada Day.
“The trauma our community suffered in February is front of centre through all of our planning,” he said. “Canada Day is about celebrating our country… We want to encourage people to come down and we want to let them know that you can come down to a large area that will have a festive environment to it.”
Bell said there will be protests, but as long as they’re lawful, downtown Ottawa will be “an amazing place to be on Canada Day.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.