OTTAWA — “Rolling Thunder” protesters have begun to arrive on Parliament Hill, where Ottawa police have created an exclusion zone around several blocks downtown and called in hundreds of extra officers in preparation.
The group has not been clear about the cause they’re rallying for, except to say they will be in Ottawa to “peacefully celebrate our freedom,” and they oppose the removal of veterans from the National War Memorial during a convoy protest in February.
Some of the early arrivals on Parliament Hill ahead of a rally planned this evening say they were part of the demonstration that seized downtown Ottawa for most of February in protest of COVID-19 restrictions and the Trudeau government.
Angela Manella from North Bay, Ont., says she was in Ottawa to protest the vaccine mandates in February, and she’s returned because the mandates are still in place.
Other protesters wearing leather motorcycle vests near the War Memorial say they are only in Ottawa this weekend to honour veterans who police removed from the site along with the rest of the protesters in February.
The community association that represents residents who live near Parliament Hill say they’re nervous this weekend will bring the same level of noise, disruption and lawlessness they experienced a few months ago.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2022.
The Canadian Press
