'Get the kids out of there': Ottawa police urge protesting parents to remove children
CTV
Ottawa police are urging trucker convoy protesters to remove their children as they clear out protest sites.
“It still shocks and surprises me that we are seeing children put in harm's way in the middle of a demonstration where a police operation is unfolding,” interim Ottawa police chief Steve Bell said at a press conference Friday afternoon. “We will continue to look after their safety and security, but we implore all the parents who have kids in there, get the kids out of there.”
As police in tactical gear began dismantling COVID-19 mandate demonstrations in Ottawa Friday, some participants were seen bringing small children to the frontlines.
“Protestors have put children between police operations and the unlawful protest site,” Ottawa police tweeted. “The children will be brought to a place of safety.”
Ottawa police previously said that nearly 25 per cent of the 400-plus protest trucks had children living in them. The recently-passed Emergencies Act makes it illegal to bring minors to the “unlawful” protest sites, and is punishable by fines of up to $5,000 and/or up to five years in jail.
