Police called after altercation involving anti-maskers at Ottawa business
Ottawa police were forced to respond to an incident on Bank Street Thursday night just after 7:00 p.m. when an altercation unfolded between a group of anti-maskers and staff at a restaurant.
The incident was caught on video and streamed live over social media, appearing to show a fight between an employee and a customer.
In a statement, Gabriel’s Pizza said police are investigating the incident.
"We are aware of an incident which took place...The incident is currently under investigation with the Ottawa Police Service, and we are fully cooperating with their investigation," a spokesperson for the Ottawa pizza chain wrote in an email.
CTV News reached out to the parties involved in the video but did not hear back.
In a comment on social media, the poster of the video wrote they are entering businesses and choosing not to follow public health guidelines - like masking or showing proof of vaccination - in order to, "Try our best to teach businesss (sic) the real law which so far has been really successful until now."
"There’s a very blatant hypocrisy in the fact that these groups were previously chanting about small businesses and now are making their way into businesses small and large looking to harass the workers,” said Toronto-based lawyer Caryma Sa’d.
Gabriel’s Pizza wrote in a statement that Thursday’s incident is not isolated, writing that people, "Call the specific store with threatening comments," and "relay vulgar language to our hostess and young staff members."
Gabriel Pizza adds that they will continue to follow all public health protocols and that they will not tolerate "the harassment of our valued customers and staff."
Business advocates say the incident highlights a growing challenge.
"When we see people who are out trying to bring people together by putting pressure against businesses who are just following the government mandate rules, it’s incredibly frustrating," small business advocate Michael Wood said.
Wood says there are concerns these incidents could increase.
"I think we need bylaw to be ready, I understand that they’re overloaded, we need OPS to be ready to engage because each right now we don’t need any additional pressures in small business," Wood said.
CTV News Ottawa contacted both the Ottawa Police Service and Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services but did not receive a response by deadline.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.