The RCMP’s statutory report, which examines the Mounties’ response to the protests, said the RCMP also questioned whether the protests would remain in Ottawa for long — making it the second police force to raise concerns about the duration of the protests. The Public Order Emergency Commission inquiry investigating the federal government’s use of the Emergency Act to end the protests heard from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) that its intelligence wing feared the protests had “no exit strategy for the departure from Ottawa”. Despite these reports, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) was prepared for a protest that lasted only one weekend. City police officials told the inquiry that OPS had no contingency plan for the protest that continued on Monday. Protesters and their vehicles were trapped in the core of the city center for almost three weeks. According to the report, the RCMP’s intelligence unit has been gathering information since late 2021 about potential security threats arising from protests against the government’s response to the pandemic. The RCMP said that while most of these early protests were generally peaceful in nature, they were concerned that they could embolden “ethno-nationalists and other ideologically motivated elements.” By mid-January, the RCMP reported that truck drivers and supporters intended to gather in Ottawa and blockade Parliament. On Jan. 21, a week before the protesters arrived, the RCMP — which provides protection services to some officials — said it had updated its ministerial security plans. “These updates were made, in part, due to concerns arising from anti-public health rhetoric and demonstrations at the residences of public officials,” the report said. CBC News asked the RCMP for more details on what the updated plan included, but has not received a response.
RCMP on standby at Rideau Hall
A few days later, on January 26, the Ideologically Motivated Criminal Intelligence Team (IMCIT) issued a special threat alert regarding plans for an upcoming self-styled Freedom Escort. This unit provides intelligence reports and information about ideologically motivated actors and networks that may pose criminal threats to public order and security. The bulletin warned that some attendees appeared to be planning to stay longer in Ottawa and “raised concerns that the event could become a flashpoint for violence.” That same day, the report said, the RCMP placed regular members on standby at Rideau Hall, the home of the Governor General. The report also said the RCMP contacted the sergeant-at-arms in the House of Commons and worked with Global Affairs Canada on concerns coming from the international diplomatic community in Ottawa. The Ontario division of the RCMP said it received information on Jan. 28 that a person with “alleged extremist views intended to attend the blockades while armed.” The report said the RCMP and OPP worked to identify the person and the OPP later questioned them. No other information about the person was included in the report. The Public Order Emergency Committee is reviewing the federal government’s Feb. 14 decision to invoke the Emergency Act to clear downtown Ottawa. Commissioner Paul Rouleau, who is leading the inquiry into the emergency law, is expected to deliver a final report in February.
