23 vehicles towed, dozens of tickets issued as rally marks one-year anniversary of 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa

OPS and Ottawa Bylaw officers issued 192 parking tickets and 67 Provincial Offences Notices in downtown Ottawa this weekend, as hundreds of people marked the one-year anniversary of the 'Freedom Convoy'.

Police and Bylaw Services officers maintained an increased presence in the Parliamentary Precinct on Sunday, as dozens of people gathered in downtown Ottawa to mark the one-year anniversary of the arrival of the 'Freedom Convoy.'

Ottawa police vehicles monitored several intersections entering the downtown core, while Parliamentary Protective Service officers monitored people entering Parliament Hill ahead of a planned rally and dance party. A small group of people gathered on Parliament Hill during a snowstorm Sunday afternoon.

"It was a reunion to reunite everybody together," organizer Mathieu Venne said Sunday afternoon. "We were here peacefully, honourably, clean."

Protester Travis, who declined to give his second name, said this weekend's events are to "celebrate the accomplishments of the convoy" last year.

"Our message is the same; we are against the mandates. Vaccine mandates aren't completely gone; it's up to company discretion, it hasn't been abolished."

Police say a "small convoy" entered Ottawa Sunday afternoon, but was "subsequently redirected out of the city". One vehicle with an upside-down Canadian flag and a Quebec flag was seen driving around the downtown Ottawa Sunday morning.

In a statement on Twitter Saturday evening, Coun. Riley Brockington said Ottawa police told Council that "there is an indication that some individuals from the 'Cornwall Convoy' (25 vehicles) and Hamilton 'Convoy' (30 vehicles) may plan to attend Ottawa once those events conclude. This is being closely monitored."