About 300 vehicles took part in a rally in central Ottawa on Saturday afternoon to protest vaccination orders and other restrictions on public health. The escort, which started in Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, Que., Honked on King Edward Avenue, Laurier Avenue and O’Connor Street before leaving Ottawa for Vankleek Hill. “It was a bit of a traumatic experience, a few seconds to say no again,” said Devinder Chaudhary, owner of Aiana Restaurant. The so-called “Next Generation” escort arrived in Ottawa just over a month after police moved to remove the Freedom Convoy from Wellington Street and the streets around Parliament Hill. Chaudhary says the protest is a reminder that many businesses could still be in danger as they try to recover from the prolonged closure during the protest. “Even today, I think a lot of people associate the core of the center with chaos,” Chaudhary said. Horizon Ottawa invites people “frustrated by the actions” of Ottawa police during Saturday’s demonstration to register to speak at the Ottawa Police Service Council meeting on Monday. Several people expressed frustration with Ottawa police tweets describing the police response to the protest, including setting a limited route for the escort to “safely cross”. “We estimate that this escort was undesirable for many residents and businesses,” police said on Saturday. “All legal principles have been examined or used in accordance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” The escort of the “Next Generation”, which consists of motorists mainly from Quebec, said on Sunday that they would go to the Quebec National Assembly in the city of Quebec.
RESTAURANT FINANCING
The escort arrived as downtown restaurants affected by the “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa began receiving funding from a crowdfunding campaign. An Ottawa-based GoFundMe raised money to help cover some of the lost revenue during the four-week protest. “We managed to raise about $ 100,000,” Chaudhary said. “We were able to give grants from $ 1,000 to $ 3,000 to 42 facilities.”
