Key Takeaways:
- Police say a multi-day protest against COVID-19 mandates in Fredericton isn’t over yet.
- The protest’s promotional materials encouraged participants to cause traffic congestion in the city, similar to what protesters did in Ottawa.
- Several large trucks were also barred from entering the city by police over the weekend due to a lack of proper documentation.
Police say a multi-day protest in Fredericton against COVID-19 mandates isn’t over yet.
As the protests entered their third day, officers from the Fredericton Police Force and provincial peace officers “keep monitoring the ongoing protest in Fredericton,” police spokesman Alycia Bartlett said in a news release.
“Our primary responsibility is to ensure everyone’s safety and security while allowing for peaceful protest,” Bartlett said.
“We are pleased to report that the protest site remained peaceful throughout the day, with only a small number of people remaining.”
Also read: During an anti-mandate protest in Fredericton, 2 were arrested and a vehicle was seized
A protester said during a speech Saturday that a barbecue and portable restrooms had been set up on-site and that the crowd would be able to stay until Sunday and “indefinitely.”
Since Friday afternoon, hundreds of people from throughout the province have gathered outside the New Brunswick Legislature to demand that all COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccination mandates, be lifted.
After a large crowd of about 300 people on Friday and 700 on Saturday, a smaller group of roughly 70 people gathered outside the New Brunswick Legislature by mid-afternoon on Sunday.
The protest’s promotional materials called for participants to cause gridlock in the city, comparable to what protesters did in Ottawa. Still, traffic in Fredericton was rampant throughout the weekend, save for a few brief snarls.
There was a huge police presence at the protest site throughout the weekend, with dozens of additional officers from other agencies brought in to assist the Fredericton police.
The protest was billed as part of the Freedom Convoy 2022, traveling across Canada for the past few weeks.
Over the weekend, three people were arrested.
3 people were arrested over the weekend, and several fines were issued to those who took part in the protest.
According to Bartlett, one person was arrested for breach of the peace overnight into Sunday, and 2 men were arrested for offenses under the Criminal Code of Canada. However, these alleged crimes were not specified.
Four tickets were also issued for alleged violations of New Brunswick’s Emergency Measures Act, as well as “multiple” traffic tickets and two civic by-law tickets for setting off fireworks, according to police.
Several large trucks were also barred from entering the city by police over the weekend because they did not have a proper reason.
Police had set up 15 roadblocks around Fredericton to prevent trucks from entering the city without a valid manifest.
According to Bartlett, police had to intervene after flying drones around the protest site.
According to her, Transport Canada issued a notice late Saturday night alerting pilots to potential flight-route hazards and restricting airspace within a three-mile radius of the protest.
“Other than those required for law enforcement, no remotely piloted aircraft (drones) are permitted in the restricted area,” Bartlett said.
Source: CBC News
Get Canada and New Brunswick News’s top News, Market news, and other worldwide news only on New Brunswick Tribune.
