OTTAWA — An Ontario police superintendent says there was "dysfunction" in the Ottawa police service from the outset of the "Freedom Convoy" protest, with some local officers yelling profanities at meetings and leadership seemingly lacking a plan.
Ontario Provincial Police Supt. Craig Abrams is sharing his perspective on the protest as part of the public inquiry into the federal invocation of the Emergencies Act.
He says after a meeting with various police agencies on Jan. 29, an OPP inspector told him that Ottawa police officers were yelling profanities at her and other OPP officers.
That was the first weekend of the protest, which would go on to last more than three weeks.
Abrams says the Ottawa police appeared to have lost control, even at that early stage.
The federal Liberals declared an emergency under the act on Feb. 14, granting police extraordinary temporary powers in an attempt to clear the protesters occupying downtown streets outside Parliament Hill.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2022.
Laura Osman and David Fraser, The Canadian Press
