Not long after hundreds of vehicles entered Ottawa to protest COVID-19 restrictions last January, the highest ranking public servant in the city pushed back against the idea they could have been easily prevented from doing so.
“It’s a bit naive for somebody to believe that the police and the city should have just prevented the protest from happening,” said Ottawa City Manager Steve Kanellakos in a text message on Jan. 30.
Trucks associated with the Freedom Convoy started arriving in Ottawa on Jan. 28 and settled in the downtown area over the weekend, with thousands of supporters joining in.
Kanellakos had sent the text to his colleague Kim Ayotte, general manager of Emergency Services at the city, and he was commenting on a news article about Ottawa residents being displeased with the protest….