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Day 10 of Public Hearings, October 26, 2022 Public Inquiry for the Invocation of the Emergencies Act

Tia Riley

On Day 10 of the Emergencies Act hearings, under questioning from lawyer Rob Kittredge, Ottawa Police Service (OPS) Superintendent Robert Bernier, said that the Emergencies Act was not required to tow vehicles and that officers would have been able to clear the protests without the act.

“Would you agree that the federal emergency power to compel towing services may have been helpful to police but it wasn’t necessary for police to clear the protests, was it?” Kittredge asked.

“Yes, however with the caveat that we were having challenges, we were having a hard time up until the 13th of February,” Bernier said. “As things materialized on the 13th I was satisfied we were good.”

SUPT. ROBERT BERNIER, Resumed
Examination in-Chief by Mr. Frank Au (cont’d)
Cross-Examination by Mr. Tom Curry
Cross-Examination by Ms. Bath-Sheba Van den Berg
Cross-Examination by Ms. Donnaree Nygard
Cross-Examination by Ms. Anne Tardif
Cross-Examination by Mr. Paul Champ
Cross-Examination by Mr. Rob Kittredge
Cross-Examination by Ms. Ewa Krajewska
Cross-Examination by Ms. Jessica Barrow
Re-Examination by Mr. Frank Au

Superintendent Bernier agrees that to his knowledge, convoy organizers always cooperated with OPS.

Rob Kittredge, JCCF Counsel: Numerous other OPP and OPS witnesses have testified that the federal emergency powers may have been helpful to police in various ways, but they were not necessary. Would you agree with that?

Superintendent Bernier: Yes.

Kittredge: Thank you.

Freedom Convoy lawyer Bath Shéba: You can see that there is a police officer in the back beating a protestor with a rifle?

Superintendent Bernier: There is not enough for me to actually see what is happening behind.

After being shown video of an officer appearing to beat a protester behind the police line, Ottawa police Supt. Robert Bernier says, “There is not enough for me to see what is actually happening” in the video.

Ottawa police Superintendent Robert Bernier says that the Emergencies Act was not necessary to compel tow truck drivers and to clear protesters from Ottawa.

Robert Bernier, Ottawa Police Commander in charge of clearing out the Freedom Convoy admits it was their plan to drop off arrested protesters outside of the city for them to fend for themselves in the freezing winter.

“Not enough for me to see exactly what is actually happening behind the bodies.”

Ottawa Police Superintendent Robert Bernier is asked to watch a video where a police officer appears to use a rifle to beat a fallen protester during the crackdown of the Freedom Convoy.

The Ottawa police commander overseeing the removal of the Freedom Convoy, Robert Bernier, noted to himself that the force “lost confidence of the community” and that the police liaison team was “demoralized.”

Ottawa police Superintendent Robert Bernier says he required no additional legal powers to clear Freedom Convoy protesters from Ottawa.

“Not enough for me to see exactly what is actually happening behind the bodies.”

Ottawa Police Superintendent Robert Bernier is asked to watch a video where a police officer appears to use a rifle to beat a fallen protester during the crackdown of the Freedom Convoy.

After being shown video of an officer appearing to beat a protester behind the police line, Ottawa police Supt. Robert Bernier says, “There is not enough for me to see what is actually happening” in the video.

The Ottawa police commander overseeing the removal of the Freedom Convoy, Robert Bernier, noted to himself that the force “lost confidence of the community” and that the police liaison team was “demoralized.”

Ottawa police Supt. Robert Bernier describes how “policing solutions” regularly include multiple police forces working together, as we saw in Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy protest.

Ottawa police Superintendent Robert Bernier says that the Emergencies Act was not necessary to compel tow truck drivers and to clear protesters from Ottawa.

SUPT. ROBERT DRUMMOND, Affirmed
Examination in-Chief by Ms. Natalia Rodriguez
Cross-Examination by Ms. Anne Tardif
Cross-Examination by Ms. Rebecca Jones
Cross-Examination by Mr. Paul Champ
Cross-Examination by Mr. Brendan Miller
Cross-Examination by Mr. Andrew Gibbs
Cross-Examination by Mr. Hatim Kheir
Cross-Examination by Ms. Jessica Barrow
Re-Examination by Ms. Natalia Rodriguez

Robert Drummond of OPS admits that the Institute For Strategic Dialogue sent police reports stating the Ottawa protest had potential for a January 6th insurrection, but that the private company had financial interests: “They were looking for us to get involved in their product.”

Robert Drummond of the Ottawa police says the service made a compromise with Freedom Convoy protesters because “ultimately, we wanted people to leave and vacate those roads, period.”

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