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05-02-2022, 01:18 PM
By Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
Published On 4 Feb 2022
4 Feb 2022
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Residents of Ottawa have been harassed and spat on; businesses have had their windows smashed; staff and volunteers at a shelter have been intimidated and called racial slurs; and healthcare workers and patients have said they had trouble getting to and from hospitals.
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“The fact that people don’t feel safe in the streets, the fact that we can’t walk freely in our own parks in broad daylight, when we’re not even saying or doing anything to anyone, has absolutely contributed to the feeling that we are occupied.”
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Last week, thousands of anti-vaccine truckers and their supporters converged on Ottawa, a usually sleepy capital filled with bureaucrats and government offices. The so-called “Freedom Convoy” protesters were demanding the federal government lift an order requiring truckers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to cross the land border between Canada and the United States.
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the response of Ottawa police has drawn considerable condemnation, with many questioning what purpose the police serve if not to protect residents who have been subjected to acts of hate, vandalism and threats. Observers also have highlighted what they say is a double standard, as police have taken a hands-off approach to the convoy, yet in the past quickly cracked down on Indigenous land defenders, Black Lives Matter activists and others.
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Meanwhile, organisations working in downtown Ottawa say the area’s most vulnerable people have been severely affected by the protest.
The Shepherds of Good Hope homeless shelter said its soup kitchen staff and volunteers were harassed and pressured to provide meals to protesters, while a member of its community was assaulted. A security guard who went to that person’s aid was intimidated and called racial slurs.
Tungasuvvingat Inuit, which provides services to Inuit in Ottawa, said the protest has created “a high-level anxiety and increased fear for the vulnerable Indigenous communities in the area” and impeded the group’s ability to provide services. “The protest was positioned as a peaceful [sic] but has turned into large intimidating crowds threatening the safety of vulnerable individuals,” it said.
Better to read full report at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/4/...occupation
......
Published On 4 Feb 2022
4 Feb 2022
......
Residents of Ottawa have been harassed and spat on; businesses have had their windows smashed; staff and volunteers at a shelter have been intimidated and called racial slurs; and healthcare workers and patients have said they had trouble getting to and from hospitals.
......
“The fact that people don’t feel safe in the streets, the fact that we can’t walk freely in our own parks in broad daylight, when we’re not even saying or doing anything to anyone, has absolutely contributed to the feeling that we are occupied.”
......
Last week, thousands of anti-vaccine truckers and their supporters converged on Ottawa, a usually sleepy capital filled with bureaucrats and government offices. The so-called “Freedom Convoy” protesters were demanding the federal government lift an order requiring truckers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to cross the land border between Canada and the United States.
......
the response of Ottawa police has drawn considerable condemnation, with many questioning what purpose the police serve if not to protect residents who have been subjected to acts of hate, vandalism and threats. Observers also have highlighted what they say is a double standard, as police have taken a hands-off approach to the convoy, yet in the past quickly cracked down on Indigenous land defenders, Black Lives Matter activists and others.
......
Meanwhile, organisations working in downtown Ottawa say the area’s most vulnerable people have been severely affected by the protest.
The Shepherds of Good Hope homeless shelter said its soup kitchen staff and volunteers were harassed and pressured to provide meals to protesters, while a member of its community was assaulted. A security guard who went to that person’s aid was intimidated and called racial slurs.
Tungasuvvingat Inuit, which provides services to Inuit in Ottawa, said the protest has created “a high-level anxiety and increased fear for the vulnerable Indigenous communities in the area” and impeded the group’s ability to provide services. “The protest was positioned as a peaceful [sic] but has turned into large intimidating crowds threatening the safety of vulnerable individuals,” it said.
Better to read full report at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/4/...occupation
......
