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Day 2 of Public Hearings, October 14, 2022 Public Inquiry for the Invocation of the Emergencies Act

ByTia Riley

Oct 14, 2022 #Canada, #Emergencies Act, #Federal, #protests, #public inquiry

On Day 2 of the Public Order Emergency Commission hearings, Ottawa residents testified about “phantom honking”, “phantom smells” and living in a scene from “The Purge”, and complaints about protestors giving away free food.   Ottawa City Councillors suggest that trucks were “weapons” and accused truckers of committing “microaggressions” toward Ottawa residents.

 

MS. VICTORIA De La RONDE, Sworn
MS. ZEXI LI, Affirmed
Examination in-Chief by Ms. Natalia Rodriguez
Cross-Examination by Mr. Brendan Miller
Cross-Examination by Mr. Brendan van Niejenhuis
Cross-Examination by Ms. Jessica Barrow
Cross-Examination by Mr. Rob Kittredge
Cross-Examination by Mr. Paul Champ

Victoria De La Ronde says her hearing is damaged from the trucks, she says she now listens to music louder, and she tried to hide from the horns by sleeping on the floor. Victoria De La Ronde, resident of Downtown Ottawa, says she experienced “Phantom Honking” long after the Freedom Convoy left the city. Victoria De La Ronde said there was no grocery delivery to her building, but it was police who closed the streets, not truckers. Police refused to let any vehicles into the downtown. She testifies that she “still jumps a lot” when she hears a loud horn.

Victoria De La Ronde Ottawa resident and a former federal government employee who wears a mask outside suggests that she caught Covid from protestors. I’m sure that Ontario just opening up had nothing to do with it, or that she didn’t get it from her friend.

Victoria De La Ronde says she experiences “phantom horns” and “phantom smells” after the truckers left Ottawa, but “they are not there” during the Emergencies Act Public Inquiry.

“There was times when I was harassed for wearing a mask, or I was being told to smile more under my mask” I think one of worse things was whenever I choose not to engage with the individuals”, “they would blast their horns with a smile on their faces and would cheer in unison”.

Zexi Li says that the truckers were publicly urinating and defecating in the snow near her building, but said that she never actually saw anyone do this. Li says she felt like she was in the movie the Purge, but said she didn’t see any acts of violence.

Zexi Li says that the truckers were publicly urinating and defecating in the snow near her building, but said that she never actually saw anyone do this. Li says she felt like she was in the movie the Purge, but said she didn’t see any acts of violence.

Zexi Li says she didn’t feel safe walking outside, but could explain why it was unsafe. She said she would just move quickly, but if you did take your time they (protestors) would come up to you to try and convince you that they were doing the right thing.

Zexi Li: “Egg throwing started to occur from my building.” Her neighbors were throwing eggs down at the trucks. Her neighbors “had their little retaliation in frustration, because what else could they do.” The only violence Zexi Li described came from her neighbors.

During cross-examination by Freedom Convoy lawyer Brendan Miller, Li was challenged on her comments.

Li responded by saying, “I would not say that the protests or occupation provided a Purge-like opportunity.” She followed up by saying the opportunity was there for a Purge-type scenario and that the people “illegally occupying our streets felt like they could do anything they wanted.”

Miller also asked Li about her interactions with the protesters, including an interaction in which Li allegedly told truckers to “go back to where the f*** you came from.” Li confirmed that she “may have” said those words.

Brendan Miller asks if Zexi Li saw a crime or sedition or espionage or insurrection or knock down a building or anything like that. Or destroy buildings or property. “Nope”.

Brendan Miller mentions that Zexi Li was working with local politicians on her lawsuit. Councillor and Mayoral Candidate Catherine McKenney is busted making undercover deals with Ottawa resident Zexi Li.

I can believe we just spent an hour and a half hearing about the dangers of honking and bonfires on frigid nights during a hearing that is supposed to determine whether this protest was a threat to national security.

Councillor and Mayoral Candidate Catherine McKenney is busted making undercover deals with Ottawa resident Zexi Li.

Zexi Li claims the protest provided “a Purge-like scenario,” referencing the movie series where there are no laws for a night, and residents can commit whatever illegal offences they like, including murder.

Apparently the government had to invoke the Emergencies Act because of loud noises similar to that of a lawnmower.

Ottawa residents testify on whether or not, and if so, how, they felt “unsafe” during the Ottawa protests. Zexi Li states “I didn’t feel safe, but it is hard to describe it as unsafe at the same time.”

Ottawa resident Victoria De La Ronde testifies that she “still jumps a lot” when she hears a loud horn. Zexi Li states she was often “harassed” when she left her home to go outside in a mask and suffered from sleep deprivation.

 

 

MR. KEVIN McHALE, Affirmed
MS. NATHALIE CARRIER, Affirmed
Examination in-Chief by Mr. Jean-Simon Schoenholz
Cross-Examination by Mr. Brendan Miller
Cross-Examination by Ms. Jessica Barrow
Cross-Examination by Mr. Tom Curry
Cross-Examination by Mr. Rob Kittredge
Cross-Examination by Mr. Brendan van Niejenhuis
Cross-Examination by Mr. Paul Champ
Re-Examination in-Chief by Mr. Jean-Simon Schoenholz

 

The next two witnesses that testified were Nathalie Carrier representing the Vanier business improvement area and Kevin McHale representing the Sparks Street business improvement area.

Carrier testified that UberEats had stopped operating in downtown Ottawa during the protest, despite other Ottawa residents confirming that they did receive deliveries from UberEats.

Nathalie Carrier complains that the protestors were handing out free food, which conflicts with media reports that protestors were stealing food from the homeless.

“Some businesses chose to remain open and did quite well revenue-wise due to the increased foot traffic resulting from the protest, is that correct?”

“Some I think did well, yes.”

They are now debating whether Uber Eats was available in Ottawa during the protest. Evidently this is a matter of national security.

Hint: It was. I used it myself.

“There was a sense of lawlessness. Restaurants often had catering tables organized by protestors right outside their doors, offering free hot dogs and chocolates to everyone, meanwhile the business that was trying to stay open and survive was not getting any business.”

 

 

COUNCILLOR CATHERINE McKENNEY, Affirmed
COUNCILLOR MATHIEU FLEURY, Sworn
Examination in-Chief by Ms. Natalia Rodriguez
Cross-Examination by Mr. Paul Champ
Cross-Examination by Mr. David Migicovsky
Cross-Examination by Mr. Brendan Miller
Cross-Examination by Mr. Tom Curry
Cross-Examination by Mr. Brendan van Niejenhuis
Cross-Examination by Mr. Rob Kittredge

The final two witnesses of the day were Ottawa city councillors Mathieu Fleury and Catherine McKenney.

Fleury described the actions of the protesters towards Ottawa residents as “microaggressions” and described the trucks involved in the protest as “weapons.”

 

Emergencies act was used because of “micro-aggressions”. Councillor Mathieu Fleury testifies that people were scared to leave their home due to micro-aggressions “the noise” “the smells” “the fumes”.

Councillor Catherine Mckenney testified that she didn’t witness any violence, but proceeds to give hearsay examples of violence that she heard about including a un-proven assault on the LRT where someone had their nose broken.

Councillor Mathieu Fleury testifies about incidents from media reports, incidents of “micro-aggressions”, and claims a homeless person was “beaten by protestors” at the Shepherds of Good Hope despite there not being any police reports to back up the claim.

A bizarre scene at the Public Order Emergency Commission in response to cross-examination by the convoy’s lawyer Mr. Brendan Miller. Ottawa city Councilor Mathieu Fleury while being asked to define “microaggression” after using the word multiple times throughout his testimony in English, suddenly starts answering in french. Ottawa City Councilor Catherine McKenney is caught on microphone multiple times coaching Fleury what to say.

Q: A necessary element to ending what you call the occupation would’ve been removing the vehicles from the streets.

A: I’m not sure. If the people were removed and we stopped having to hear the honking..

Q: So you’d be happy to have vehicles remain on the streets of Ottawa?

Councillor Mathieu Fleury claims a homeless person was “beaten by protestors,” referencing the incident at the Shepherds of Good Hope.

The claim of assault was walked back by the shelter, who later stated a resident was shoved and that there was a verbal altercation.

Mayoral candidate and Councillor Catherine McKenney gets called out for referencing the arson as a community threat when the suspects were not related to convoy protestors, says she disagreed with the media release stating as much.

Councillor Catherine McKenney describes an assault that allegedly took place on the LRT where a person in a mask was accosted and had their nose broken. I don’t recall that being reported. I do recall an assault being reported on the elderly woman she mentioned.

By Tia Riley

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