The Freedom Convoy, a disparate group of legitimate protestors, conspiracy theorists, and troublemakers—ostensibly fed up with COVID-19 health mandates—shut down Ottawa, Ontario back in January, 2022. The three-week protest terrorized residents, forcing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to invoke the little-used Emergencies Act to clear the streets of trucks and protestors ensconced for the long haul. In this excerpt from The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau, Stephen Maher recalls the genesis of the event, police inaction, Ottawa’s much-delayed response, and the criticism that ensued.
For the protesters, it was a great party, a joyful and peaceful expression of freedom and togetherness. Most of the protesters were not truckers, but many were tradespeople. They built temporary shelters and set up hot tubs for adults and bouncy castles for kids.
For residents of downtown Ottawa, few of whom agreed with the protesters, it was a sudden nightmare in their neighbourhood. Many protesters were uncouth, drunk, and aggressive, taunting the masked and refusing to wear masks in stores and restaurants. The massive Rideau Centre mall had to shut; small businesses lost their customers. Protesters danced on the National War Memorial, put a protest poster and a ball cap on the statue of Terry Fox. Staff at the Shepherds of Good Hope soup kitchen reported being harassed and assaulted.
The residents of the many high-rise buildings near Parliament Hill were constantly bombarded by the chaos in the streets, the stench of diesel fumes, and the sound of horns, making it difficult to sleep or relax. “The first thing you noticed when you stepped outside was all the snow, because services were unable to be rendered due to the occupation that was going on,” Zexi Li, a young public servant who lived downtown, told the commission. “The snow was often coloured yellow or brown due to the public urination and defecation that took place gratuitously. . . . And oftentimes there were illegal bonfires and just trash burning right next to cans of fuel or near the same areas where these individuals would later set off fireworks.”
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