'Rolling Thunder Ottawa' motorcycle convoy expected to roll through Ottawa
Another group of protesters is planning to loudly roll through Ottawa next weekend and while it’s not clear what "Rolling Thunder Ottawa" is protesting, they plan to make their presence known.
The motorcycle group is expected in Ottawa on April 29, and the city and interim chief of police say they are aware of the demonstration.
Few details about the protest are known, but it's expected the group could stay in Ottawa until May 1 with rallies planned on Parliament Hill, slow roll protests and a stop at the National War Memorial to lay a wreath.
Between 500 and 1,000 people are expected to take part, but there are concerns.
"Everyone has a right to protest but at a certain point their goal is unclear to me. What is their goal? It's unclear to me if it's simply to come protest or if it's something else," said Sam Hersh, an Ottawa resident who was impacted by the Freedom Convoy that occupied the downtown core for nearly a month before being moved out at the end of February.
"My level of hesitancy is around the noise, especially if it's a nice day and patios are open downtown," added Sarah Chown, Managing Partner at the Metropolitan Brasserie.
Metropolitan was closed for several weeks during the Freedom Convoy.
"I have to hope that this will be handled like that second smaller convoy that came in a few weeks ago was handled; they come in drive their route, make their way out of town and the disruption is limited," said Chown.
That rally, which rolled throughout Ottawa at the end of March lasted a few hours, not a few weeks.
What are Ottawa Police saying about this new convoy?
In a statement to CTV News Thursday, the Ottawa Police Service said; “We continue to prepare for the planned demonstration (Rolling Thunder) on April 29th and 30th.”
Interim chief Steve Bell will provide an update on police preparations for the convoy during the Ottawa Police Services Board meeting on Monday.
"We don't want a repeat of what happened last time, and we haven’t heard anything," said Hersh.
It’s not clear what protestors want, but you can expect Canada flags, freedom chants, and anti-Trudeau signs.
CTV News reached out to one of the organizing groups but did not hear back by the time this story aired on April 21.
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