Canadian police investigate monument ‘desecration’ and ‘illegal’ behaviour by Freedom Convoy protesters

Authorities say Ottawa police officers and city officials were ‘threatened’ during demonstration

Canadian police have launched investigations into the “desecration” of monuments by the Freedom Convoy protesters and ‘illegal’ behaviour by demonstrators.

Thousands of people descended on Parliament Hill on Saturday to protest vaccine mandates, and many have returned for a second day action on Sunday.

Authorities say that protesters “threatened” police and city workers and a city vehicle was damaged during the demonstrations.

“Several criminal investigations are underway in relation to the desecration of the National War Memorial/Terry Fox statue, threatening/illegal/intimidating behaviour to police/city workers and other individuals and damage to a city vehicle,” Ottawa Police tweeted on Sunday.

“Illegal behaviour will not be tolerated and will be fully investigated. We have investigative and evidence-gathering teams in place to support the management of the demonstration.

“We cannot take reports through social media. Incidents must be reported to police.”

Protesters who danced on the National War Memorial were condemned by the country’s most senior military officer, General Wayne Eyre, Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff.

Police have said that national monuments will be protected and barriers were installed to prevent vehicles getting to the path in front of the National War Memorial.

Protesters also placed an upside-down Canadian flag and an anti-mandate sign on the statue of Terry Fox, which was branded “completely unacceptable” by Ottawa mayor, Jim Watson.

Fox was a 22-year-old cancer patient and amputee who became a Canadian icon in 1980 when he attempted to run across the country to raise money for cancer research.

He lost his battle against the disease in 1981 before he could complete his journey, but millions of dollars has been raised in his name ever since.

The protests have taken place after the Canadian federal government ended a truckers’ exemption to the vaccine mandate on 15 January, which now means that Canadian truck drivers need to be fully vaccinated to avoid a two-week quarantine when they cross back into Canada from the US.

The convoy made its way from British Columbia for this weekend’s rally, which police say is expected to draw around 10,000 demonstrators.

Mr Trudeau has said that it is the Canadians who have got vaccinated who have been protecting “the freedoms and the rights of Canadians to get back to the things we love to do”.

Supporters of the convoy have said they will be calling on Mr Trudeau to end all mandates, even though most are the responsibilities of the country’s provinces.

Despite the convoy, the federal government has said that it has no plans to end the federal vaccine mandates that apply to truckers and other Canadian travellers.