James Top was charged in February with two counts of misconduct and discipline for comments made while wearing his uniform and has since led a four-month march to the capital from Vancouver. His march was supported by many of the same personalities who took part in the Freedom Chat that roared in central Ottawa for weeks until police used force to end what they and the government described as illegal occupation. Shortly after Top’s comments, police said they were responding to a “situation” in the area and arrested four people for incidents, including attacks on police officers. A police officer could be seen pouring water in his eyes as a woman nearby shouted at police using pepper spray. In a tweet, the Ottawa Police Department said it was investigating the incident, including video surveillance. His initial investigations found that an interaction with an officer became confrontational and an officer drowned. We are watching videos and investigating the incident at the National War Memorial this afternoon. The initial investigation found that an interaction with officers became a confrontation and 1 officer drowned. Other police officers responded immediately, 4 people were arrested – @ OttawaPolice At the same time, however, the crowd continued to tremble happily and queue for photos with Topp. Tourists and families also wandered the scene, appearing puzzled as they took pictures of the war memorial. As the sun began to set, some protesters began firing fireworks as police watched. The arrests spanned a day of activity in the capital as protesters staged their first scheduled Canada Day weekend.
Crowds visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Top’s arrival in the capital and promises of a new round of protests starting Canada Day have angered residents. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and caretaker city police chief Steve Bell have vowed to crack down on any illegal activity. Cheers and voices “Freedom!” erupted as Top arrived at the National War Memorial on Thursday night. He knelt, weeping, with his hand on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before speaking to the crowd, thanking them for their support and urging them not to give up. “I have met thousands of people on my trip from Vancouver to Ottawa and many of them have lost hope. They feel lost. They are angry. They have lost faith in the system. We have already started something,” he said. he said. “Listen to the call. Concentrate. Get organized. Plan. What is the answer? Non-violence. Peace.” A long line of protesters, including at least one wearing a black armored vest, marched across the park. Earlier on Thursday, Conservative candidate Pierre Polievre took part in the final leg of Top’s course. Poilievre walked next to Topp for about half an hour west of downtown Ottawa, where hundreds of people had gathered to see the army reserve. A man is being held in his stomach during his arrest in Ottawa on Thursday. (Radio-Canada) The video of the meeting shows Poilievre opposing vaccination orders and quoting Topp a famous phrase by then-Prime Minister John Diefenbaker that he was a “free Canada” when he signed the 1960 Canadian Bill of Rights. The two also spoke of divisions within Canada, with Poilievre saying: “People are desperately looking for hope. I think it is time for this country to be reunited and for the wounds to heal and for our country to be reunited.” Hours later, hundreds of people gathered in a park south of downtown Ottawa for the final straight to the National War Memorial. At one point the crowd received a speech from a man wearing a military beret and civilian clothes, who denounced the order of Chief of Defense, General Wayne Eyre, to fully vaccinate all members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The members of the crowd strongly disapproved. The presence of the police has increased around the hill of parliament in view of the festive activities for Canada’s Day and the protests against the command in Ottawa on Thursday. (Blair Gable / Reuters) Poilievre’s appearance with Topp comes as the alleged Conservative leadership pioneer has been accused of behaving rudely with anti-vaccine protesters and other Freedom Convoy-linked groups. Tamara Lich, the leader of the motorcade that blocked Ottawa in February, appeared in court briefly on Thursday after allegedly violating one of her terms of release. Lich, who faces multiple charges, including harassment and obstruction by police, will remain in custody until bail is heard on Tuesday. Many protesters refused to be interviewed, saying they did not trust their words to be altered. But Ottawa resident Richard Gervais, who was among hundreds of people who marched along the Rideau Canal to downtown Ottawa, called Topp an “inspiration to us all.” “Here he is, the most peaceful, the nicest, the most dignified person you would ever want to meet, and he walks to Canada to say something,” he said. Gervais said his adult son was one of hundreds of federal civil servants who were forced to take unpaid leave because he refused to be vaccinated. While the demand has since been suspended, “We never know when they will return,” Gervais said. “And we know he can come back with the weakest excuses.” Top said he had no plans to lead an occupation of the capital and called on Ottawa police to work with him to facilitate his journey through the city. However, an organizer of a group calling itself Veterans 4 Freedom said in a recent video posted on YouTube that it plans to set up a semi-permanent camp east of Ottawa called Camp Eagle and hold events in the city throughout the summer. While police have since been able to prevent similar demonstrations from occupying the city, stopping the scheduled demonstrations from escaping during the Canada day is likely to be complicated by the presence of thousands of people celebrating the holidays. Prime Minister Justin Trindade said on Thursday that police were taking “very seriously” their responsibility to keep people safe during Canada Day celebrations, while Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford called on those planning to protest in Ottawa to law.
Dozens of MPs hosted Top
The allegations against Top are related to two videos posted on the internet in the winter, in which the army reserve appears in uniform criticizing the vaccination requirements for military personnel and other federal officials. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are severely limited in the comments they can make when wearing uniforms, especially when it comes to criticizing government policies, largely to protect the military from any sense of politicization. His lawyer argued that such restrictions should not apply to policies that personally affect members of the Armed Forces. More than two dozen Conservative MPs hosted Topp and other leaders at Freedom Convoy in Parliament Hill last week, posing for photos, promising their support and listening to a lecture on the alleged dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine. Top told lawmakers he was partially pushing for the abolition of all vaccine orders, as well as for demanding the reinstatement of anyone who lost his job due to such a claim and compensation for lost wages. At the same time, he and others raised the specter of civil war in describing the state of the country. Health Canada says only vaccines that meet strict safety, efficacy and quality standards are approved for use in the country, and the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines continue to outweigh the risks of the disease. About 85 percent of Canadians have taken at least one dose.
