Things are escalating in Ottawa as the Freedom Convoy protesters continue to fight against Canada’s draconian COVID-19 measures. While the message was the initial focus, the spotlight now shifts to the Ottawa Police Department’s behavior.
RedState documented numerous instances of police violence and mistreatment against peaceful protesters. One of the most striking examples was that officers riding horseback trampled on a wheelchair-bound woman. Police responded with lies, saying that the bike was being thrown at the horses. That was quickly debunked, showing how valuable it is that people are videoing what’s happening.
On Saturday, Ottawa’s chief of police gave a press conference where he dutifully played the role authoritarian assigned to him. As my colleague Duke reported in his write-up, Steve Bell threatened protesters and reporters alike, showing that “[i]n these types of scenarios, evil always shows its face.”
Ottawa Police: If you were involved in this demonstration, we will be looking to identify and investigate. We also have the ability to pursue financial and criminal cases. Absolutely. “This investigation will continue for several months.” pic.twitter.com/iLbWpA32Z6
— Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) February 19, 2022
Just like that, Ottawa Police Chief committed a serious tactical error.
That’s not to say riding horses through a crowd wasn’t incredibly stupid, but this is a much bigger mistake in the grand scheme of things. Bell now gives every protester an excuse to keep their line in one brazen attempt to make it tough on his globalist bosses. After all, if the Canadian government is going to track them down and punish them anyway, then what’s the point of leaving?
It would be smart to offer immunity to everyone who returns home before the weekend ends, so that things can settle down. But petty tyrants rarely make smart move, and Bell hasn’t shown the mental capacity to do that anyway. He has now supported the protesters by promising to seek legal and financial retribution for those with the wrong political views. If there was any thought of going home before among some protesters, that’s likely gone now because the punishment for speaking out is now a sunk cost.
Sure enough, the violent actions of the police and the government’s escalating rhetoric have only galvanized the movement. As day turned to night, this was the scene after Bell’s press conference.
Trudeau seems so scared of this.
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) February 20, 2022
Notice no one is talking about vaccine mandates anymore — because long ago, this protest became much bigger than opposition to draconian COVID-19 measures. What’s happening in Canada is now ground zero for freedom-loving people everywhere. You don’t even have to fully agree with what the Freedom Convoy is fighting for to understand the importance of their battle. The government’s success in quelling peaceful dissension in Ottawa will bring about dark changes, not only for Canada but also around the world.
There’s rarely an easy time to do the right thing in the face of authoritarians, but that doesn’t make it any less necessary. Respect and support are due to those who live in cold, snowy streets today. Canadian officials are committing grave errors by throwing gasoline on fire rather than quelling the flames. They may have done some damage to today’s streets with their brutal attacks but it is not over.
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