Ottawa Bylaw says police warned officers not to ticket 'Freedom Convoy' demonstrators due to 'risk of escalation'
CTV
The City of Ottawa's general manager of emergency and protective services says there is no double standard when it comes to how Ottawa Bylaw issues tickets to protesters after some took issue with tickets not being given to Freedom Convoy protesters.
The City of Ottawa's general manager of emergency and protective services says there is no double standard when it comes to how Ottawa Bylaw issues tickets to protesters who violate things like noise bylaws.
His comments come after the city announced this week that bylaw tickets were not issued to protesters in Ottawa for the "Freedom Convoy" anniversary rally on Saturday, despite the fact that a group of protesters set off fireworks in a parking lot on Queen Street, in violation of the city's fireworks bylaw.
"I'll be very clear: there is no double standard," Kim Ayotte said in a media availability following Wednesday's city council meeting. "We're issuing tickets for violations unless there's an officer safety action identified. During the convoy of this week, we have several investigations ongoing with regards to the use of fireworks and noise-producing devices; however, at this point in time, no tickets have been issued, as it was identified that there was an officer safety issue during the convoy protest."
Ayotte did not elaborate on the nature of the safety issue.
CTV News Ottawa reached out to the City of Ottawa for more information. In a statement, Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services Director Roger Chapman said Ottawa police advised bylaw officers not to issue tickets at the demonstration.
"Due to safety concerns for officers attending the freedom movement demonstrations on February 17 and the risk of escalation, officers were advised by the Ottawa Police Service of safety risks and not to engage members of the crowd. As this matter is still under investigation, no further information or details related to the specific safety concerns can be provided at this time," Chapman wrote.
CTV News Ottawa is seeking a response from police.
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