Help Canadian truckers at the border: LifeFunder.com
OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — An Ottawa judge banned protesters from honking their horns in the downtown area for the next 10 days as pressure mounts on politicians to cede to the truckers’ demand that federal vaccine mandates be dropped.
Today’s decision by Justice Hugh McLean at the Ontario Superior Court came despite the truckers voluntarily stopping all honking at 6 p.m. every evening in order to avoid disturbing downtown residents.
“Tooting a horn is not an expression of any great thought I’m aware of,” Justice McLean said at the court hearing. He also insisted that residents’ right for “quiet, if we can use term” supersedes the truckers’ right to honk horns when protesting.
Handing down a temporary injunction effective immediately against honking by protesters, McLean said the matter would be revisited on February 16, at which point the order could be continued.
Violators of the injunction could be found in contempt, risking harsher penalties than standard bylaw infractions typically result in.
McLean also ordered Freedom Convoy defendants Tamara Lich, Benjamin Dichter and Chris Barber to publicize news of the honking ban on social media.
Having won in court, 21-year-old Ottawa resident and complainant Zexi Li commended Justin Trudeau’s refusal to meet the truckers, telling CTV News that the truckers “cannot be negotiated with” and that people downtown “have trauma” and deserve “reparations” for the disturbance.
The injunction is reported to be part of a proposed $9.8 million class-action lawsuit by Li and other downtown residents.
The honking ban came just two days after footage went viral of Ottawa Police arresting 78-year-old great-grandfather Gerry Charlebois for honking in support of the truckers.
The following footage contains strong language:
As he tries to walk away, police violently force him onto one knee and then pin him to his vehicle. He suffered bruises as a result of the violent and unnecessary arrest. Who is this man a threat to? (Part 2 of 2) pic.twitter.com/0krmiThhQq
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 8, 2022
Charlebois, who showed the Toronto Sun his cuts and bruises after the arrest, was eventually released and handed a $118 bylaw fine for “unnecessary noise.”
Help Canadian truckers at the border: LifeFunder.com