'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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit natural gas levies to the federal government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer filled with relief and grief following acquittal in death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
North Bay doctor accused of assaulting patient, threatening another
A North Bay doctor is facing charges after allegedly assaulting a patient with a weapon and threatening another person at the hospital, police say.