Plaque commemorating 'Battle of Billings Bridge' during 'Freedom Convoy' removed
A commemorative plaque celebrating a watershed moment of citizen resistance to the 'Freedom Convoy' last year has been taken down.
The plaque commemorated the so-called 'Battle of Billings Bridge,' when hundreds of people blocked an intersection to prevent convoy protesters from driving downtown on the third weekend of the occupation.
The plaque, designed to look exactly like an official city of Ottawa plaque, was posted near Riverside Drive and Bank Street.
"At this spot on February 13, 2022, everyday citizens and Ram Ranch Resistance members peacefully stood in the way of those who had trampled citizens’ right to peace, free movement and free expression," the plaque read.
"This plaque commemorates the ordinary people who did something extraordinary when their leaders would not."
However, by late Thursday night, the plaque had been removed. A tool that appeared to have been used to remove the plaque was left at the scene.
The plaque was made of brass and glued onto the bridge with construction adhesive. It’s not clear who made it or put it up, or who removed it.
By late Thursday night, the unofficial plaque commemorating the 'Battle of Billings Bridge' had been removed. (Natalie van Rooy/CTV News Ottawa)
A city spokesman confirmed Friday morning they did not remove it.
"The City of Ottawa was not responsible for the installation or the removal of the plaque mounted to Billings Bridge," said the statement attributed to Alain Gonthier the general manager of public works.
On Thursday, before the plaque was taken down, a city spokesman said it was "reviewing the matter" but did not say whether they planned to remove it.
"The City of Ottawa did not install a plaque on Billings Bridge at the Bank Street and Riverside Drive intersection and is currently reviewing the matter," a city spokesman said in a statement attributed to Dan Chenier, general manager of recreation, cultural and facility services.
The Billings Bridge protest lasted for hours and turned into a symbolic act of resistance from residents who were fed up with the convoy’s occupation of downtown.
Hundreds of volunteers, including some local politicians, gathered to block about 35 trucks that had been headed to join protesters downtown
The truck drivers were eventually allowed to leave one at a time, but only after their trucks were stripped of flags, jerry cans and any 'Freedom Convoy' paraphernalia.
Earlier Thursday, Sean Burges, a Carleton University professor whose post on Facebook the night before kickstarted the Billings Bridge protest, said he thought the plaque should stay up.
A plaque commemorating the 'Battle of Billings Bridge' during the 'Freedom Convoy' protests erected at the bridge. The plaque is designed to look like an official city of Ottawa commemoration. (Tyler Fleming/CTV News Ottawa)
“I love it. It’s an absolutely brilliant piece of guerilla protest art,” he said. “I think it would be an absolute travesty if the city came and decided to take that plaque down.”
“They don’t have credibility on this front, so they’re best just to leave it.”
Andrea Harden, who was among the first people at the protest that day, agreed.
“I think it’s brilliant. Kudos to whoever did it,” she said. “I think it was well-intentioned and a way of marking what was kind of like that first domino that led to the end of the convoy downtown.”
“I really think this speaks to the creativity of the community that was here, and a moment in time in which people were saying enough is enough, this has to end.”
Harden remembers the protest as a community coming together and taking a stand.
“The one thing that really brought so many people together on that day was this feeling of helplessness, this feeling like this occupation was happening…and a frustration that nothing was being done about it.”
Burges and Harden both said they have no idea who made the plaque. But Burges said he wants to buy them a coffee or a beer.
The plaque was installed slightly crooked, so Burges did have a suggestion for city crews.
“Maybe what the city could do is actually come and put it in properly.”
- with files from Tyler Fleming and Natalie van Rooy, CTV News Ottawa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.