Emergencies Act inquiry to hear from Pat King, other ‘Freedom Convoy’ figures on Wednesday
OTTAWA-The federal Emergencies Act inquiry is hearing Wednesday from more key figures in the so-called Freedom Convoy" movement that staged a protest occupation near Parliament Hill last winter.
After testimony from key organizers Tuesday, the ongoing public inquiry will hear from Keith Wilson, a lawyer for some of the protest organizers.
The inquiry will also hear from Tom Marazzo, a former soldier who worked with the protest organizers during the occupation, at one point participating in talks with the City of Ottawa to try and move trucks away from residential neighbourhoods in the downtown core.
A third witness slated to appear Wednesday is Pat King, an online influencer known for his opposition to COVID-19 restrictions and previous statements speculating about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau being shot and seemingly endorsing the racist white replacement" conspiracy theory.
King livestreamed his arrest in the final days of the protest occupation and spent months in jail before receiving bail. He faces a series of criminal charges for his role in the protests, including mischief, obstructing a peace officer, counselling others to commit mischief, counselling to commit intimidation, counselling to obstruct police and blocking or obstructing one or more highways.
Over the previous 14 days of testimony, the public inquiry led by Ontario Justice Paul Rouleau has heard evidence that Ontario Provincial Police intelligence warned the protest crisis had become a threat to police and public safety, and possibly even a threat to Canada's national security. The police agency warned, according to intelligence briefings tabled at the inquiry, that the protesters were well-organized, had shown access to inside information from law enforcement, and represented an increasing risk of conflict or violence as the Ottawa occupation dragged on.
According to a Feb. 14 OPP report, some protesters perceived themselves as being at war with the Canadian government and everything it represents."
That same day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government created special police powers under the Emergencies Act to deal with the crisis. The government has justified the unprecedented step - the act had never been used since it became law in 1988 - by arguing the situation was an economically damaging national emergency that threatened serious political violence.
Critics of the decision - including civil liberties groups, Conservative politicians and the protesters themselves - have argued the move was an unnecessary overreach that violated constitutional rights and could set the bar too low for the act to be used again in the future.
More to come.
Alex Ballingall is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @aballinga
Tonda MacCharles is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @tondamacc