Ottawa police urge parents to remove children from protest zone

Authorities are once again asking parents not to bring children and youth to downtown Ottawa as police continue the operation to clear downtown streets.

Ottawa police said officers were seeing young children being "brought to the front of the police operation" on Saturday.

CTV News reporters Creeson Agecoutay and Annie Bergeron-Oliver reported seeing some families near the police lines along Sparks Street Saturday afternoon.

Agecoutay said one protester told him that, "they're here for the children."

The Children Aid's Society of Ottawa issued a new statement to people in the demonstration zone.

"For any families either remaining in the downtown core or attempting to enter the protest zone, we urge you to leave immediately," the CASO said on Twitter. "The presence of children and youth within or near the zone is highly concerning."

In an interview with CTV News Channel, Kelly Raymond of the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa said the CAS continues to work with Ottawa Police, "Who have been our eyes and ears on the ground."

"This is not the place for children and youth at this time."

Raymond said the Children's Aid Society has a mandate under the Child, Youth, Family Services Act to protect a child where a parent has not made an "adequate provision" for care.

"In that event, should that child become separated from their primary caregiver, police who are on the scene might try and identify what we call a kin person, a significant person to that child," Raymond said.

"If that’s not available at that moment, they would bring that child to a place of safety where the Children’s Aid Society has a team ready to try and reunite, where it’s safe and possible to do so, that child with their primary caregiver or extended family member.”

The Emergencies Act enacted by the federal government this week includes a prohibition on bringing children to sites where the protests and blockades are happening.

Police say anyone who brings a minor to an unlawful protest site may be charged and fined up to $5,000. They could also spend up to five years in prison, according to police.

Interim police chief Steve Bell said Friday that police have been working with the CAS on a plan to deal with children at the occupation downtown.

"To this point we have had no need to interact with Children's Aid as it relates to children within the crowd," Bell said. "What I will tell you is that even through all the planning, it still shocks and surprises me that we're seeing children put in harm’s way in the middle of a demonstration where a police operation is unfolding.

"We will continue to look after their safety and security, but we implore all the parents who have kids in there – get kids out of there, they do not need to be in the middle of this, it's not a safe place for them."

Last week, police estimated that one in four trucks parked downtown – about 100 – had children living inside.