The incident commander tasked with policing the Freedom Convoy demonstration said he feared the protests could turn into Canada's "January 6" insurrection..Even still, Ottawa Police Insp. Russell Lucas allowed protestors to park their vehicles in front of Parliament Hill because he believed it would protect the rest of the city from disruptions. .Documents tabled Tuesday during the Public Order Emergency Commission showed Lucas determined because Parliament was not sitting the first weekend of the protest, the convoy would pose a minimal threat being parked on Wellington Street.."He believed he had sufficient [public order unit] members in place to protect Parliament Hill if convoy participants attempted to storm it," the summary of his interview said..Lucas' witness summary said in the days leading up to the protestor's arrival in the capital, he was concerned "anti-government elements might be joining the convoy and convoy participants might attempt to storm Parliament Hill in a manner similar to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.".However, Lucas had concerns blocking vehicles from parking in front of Parliament they would instead drive through other Ottawa neighbourhoods and "interfere with residents' daily activities, public transit, key bridges and access to hospitals.".Lucas testified the disruption he wanted to avoid ended up happening anyways. He said things were "orderly" during the first few hours of January 28, with vehicles from the Ontario convoy going to their designated locations on Wellington Street and the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. But when the original convoy from Western Canada arrived and found their spots had been taken, they began "weaving off" into other streets..While Lucas said Ottawa Police believed 1,000 vehicles would come to protest in the city, but instead 5,000 arrived on the first weekend..“The size and scope of the vehicles that came in exceeded everybody’s expectations,” Lucas said.."The analogy I use is I have one load of sandbags, and we're building a wall, but you see the waters are rising faster and you know you're going to get overwhelmed with the water that's coming.".Lucas said it was difficult to police the protests because the convoy had different organizers and participants with varied agendas. In particular, it became hard to negotiate with the Quebec-based Farfaada movement, camped out at the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive. Lucas described them "a freeman-on-the-land, separatist, anarchist group with trucks.".Lucas revealed Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly began to "interfere" with the force's operational decision-making during the first week of the protest. Ottawa police were under pressure from the police board, city councillors and community groups to address the concerns of residents, and so they wanted "quick enforcement wins that would be public relations successes."."Insp. Lucas told the commission he was critical of this focus on quick wins because it diverted OPS resources that he needed to stabilize the downtown core. Those diverted resources were sent to address city councillor concerns in outer areas of the downtown," said Lucas' witness summary.."He did not receive prior notice of shifting directions from the executive, and he lacked the resources in place to implement those directions."
The incident commander tasked with policing the Freedom Convoy demonstration said he feared the protests could turn into Canada's "January 6" insurrection..Even still, Ottawa Police Insp. Russell Lucas allowed protestors to park their vehicles in front of Parliament Hill because he believed it would protect the rest of the city from disruptions. .Documents tabled Tuesday during the Public Order Emergency Commission showed Lucas determined because Parliament was not sitting the first weekend of the protest, the convoy would pose a minimal threat being parked on Wellington Street.."He believed he had sufficient [public order unit] members in place to protect Parliament Hill if convoy participants attempted to storm it," the summary of his interview said..Lucas' witness summary said in the days leading up to the protestor's arrival in the capital, he was concerned "anti-government elements might be joining the convoy and convoy participants might attempt to storm Parliament Hill in a manner similar to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.".However, Lucas had concerns blocking vehicles from parking in front of Parliament they would instead drive through other Ottawa neighbourhoods and "interfere with residents' daily activities, public transit, key bridges and access to hospitals.".Lucas testified the disruption he wanted to avoid ended up happening anyways. He said things were "orderly" during the first few hours of January 28, with vehicles from the Ontario convoy going to their designated locations on Wellington Street and the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. But when the original convoy from Western Canada arrived and found their spots had been taken, they began "weaving off" into other streets..While Lucas said Ottawa Police believed 1,000 vehicles would come to protest in the city, but instead 5,000 arrived on the first weekend..“The size and scope of the vehicles that came in exceeded everybody’s expectations,” Lucas said.."The analogy I use is I have one load of sandbags, and we're building a wall, but you see the waters are rising faster and you know you're going to get overwhelmed with the water that's coming.".Lucas said it was difficult to police the protests because the convoy had different organizers and participants with varied agendas. In particular, it became hard to negotiate with the Quebec-based Farfaada movement, camped out at the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive. Lucas described them "a freeman-on-the-land, separatist, anarchist group with trucks.".Lucas revealed Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly began to "interfere" with the force's operational decision-making during the first week of the protest. Ottawa police were under pressure from the police board, city councillors and community groups to address the concerns of residents, and so they wanted "quick enforcement wins that would be public relations successes."."Insp. Lucas told the commission he was critical of this focus on quick wins because it diverted OPS resources that he needed to stabilize the downtown core. Those diverted resources were sent to address city councillor concerns in outer areas of the downtown," said Lucas' witness summary.."He did not receive prior notice of shifting directions from the executive, and he lacked the resources in place to implement those directions."
