Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson’s office did not receive a call from the Congressional Protection Service (PPS) during the trucker’s freedom convoy earlier this year, the office’s deputy director said on Sept. 29. told the meeting.
Larry Brookson told lawmakers and senators: Joint committee He is concerned about the large number of vehicles that have gathered on Wellington Street near the Parliament Hill precinct during the first week of protests calling on the liberal government to end mandatory COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions. said.
“The phone I requested was [Watson] It was a response to reopening Wellington Street and escorting trucks back to Wellington,” he said.
The PPS, which is responsible for security at the Capitol, had no jurisdiction beyond its jurisdiction. Brookson said despite his concerns, the city and Ottawa police gave protesters permission to drive and park on Wellington Street, which faces the Houses of Parliament but fell outside. of PPS governance. Brookson said if he had been in charge of the area, “the street would have been cordoned off.”
“My concern is when [the convoy protest] Wellington Street already has a lot of vehicles and that was the first weekend,” he said. “During the first weekend, some of the vehicles leaving at night began to be removed. It was the backfilling of vehicles that they decided to leave on their own initiative.”
Brookson said his team only received notices from Watson’s office that the mayor was “out of office.” He also reached out to mayor Steve Canelacos, who gave Brookson a similar reaction.
The Epoch Times reached out to the city for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time.
Brookson also told the commission that the mayor’s office had not been in contact with the Department of Conservation about the failed arrangement between the city and the organizers of the convoy to conclude the protest with negotiations. Told.
According to Dean French, who negotiated with Freedom Convoy leaders, Convoy organizer Tamara Rich admitted the protests were “getting in the way of other people” and that was the movement’s intent. said there wasn’t.Rich said February 12 letter Tell Watson that the convoy will be repositioning vehicles from February 13th.
But the Liberal government invoked the emergency law less than 24 hours later on February 14, giving them insufficient time to carry out their duties, French said. Two or three days.
“This has left a stain on Canadian history. History will show this was a complete overreaction…and investigation will show it.
Mr Brookson told the committee that he supports expanding the bill to include Wellington Street within the Houses of Parliament.
The Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Declaring a State of Emergency is holding congressional hearings as part of an investigation into the federal government’s unprecedented state of emergency legislation in response to three weeks of motorcade protests. The Emergency Act replaced the War Measures Act in 1988. The War Measures Act was invoked three times by him during the two world wars and his FLQ crisis in Quebec in 1970.
Other witnesses who testified before the Sept. 29 committee included Sergeant Patrick McDonnell, the House corporate security officer, and Senate Julie Lacroix.
Congressional security officials testified that they were not given new powers under the state of emergency, and Brookson said such powers were necessary to allow the Protective Service to govern jurisdictions including Wellington Street. He said he did not think it would be
Brookson previously testified before another House committee in June and said the PPS had not called for the law to be invoked.
The Canadian Press contributed to this article.
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Andrew Chen is a reporter for the Epoch Times based in Toronto.