NBPS: Charges 'anticipated' over latest Freedom Rally

In the wake of the third rally organized by the Northern Freedom Alliance and held at the North Bay waterfront in the past month, the North Bay Police Service says it is not turning a blind eye to the group's activities despite having issued no tickets Saturday afternoon.

"Members of the North Bay Police Service were present at the waterfront rally that took place on April 17," David Woolley, Corporate Communications Officer for NBPS advises. "Officers did not issue tickets at that time, but were gathering information and monitoring the event."

See related story: Police observe Freedom Rally as protesters vow to send tickets back unpaid

Safety is always at the forefront for responding officers and Woolley says the COVID-19 pandemic only intensifies the need for a measured response. Police officers mostly remained in their cruisers, watching while the speeches were made. They remained at a distance from the participants, content instead to collect information from afar.

"This practice ensures officer and public safety by limiting potential exposure to COVID-19 and preventing unnecessary confrontations. We anticipate that charges will be laid or summonses issued in relation to Saturday’s gathering at a later date," Woolley tells BayToday.

See also: Local Medical Officer of Health believes protests are 'irresponsible'

Before Saturday's event, NBPS announced a few of the Freedom Rally supporters had been ticketed with violations of the Reopening Ontario Act for organizing and attending the previous two events. 

In Sudbury, attendees of a similar rally this past weekend claim to have received $10,000 in fines from police and by-law officers.

The Freedom Rally was a mostly peaceful affair. Music played over loudspeakers after the speeches and the attendees, some of them families with small children, mingled in groups. Some of the supporters brought Canadian flags up the grassy knoll to wave along Memorial Drive.

In North Bay, Woolley says the officers on duty at the rally also interacted with several citizens who made their way down to the waterfront to protest the protest. There were some verbal exchanges between members of the public and the attendees but no violence.

"We are also aware of a number of individuals who attended the waterfront to allegedly counter-protest," Woolley shares. "The presence at these rallies of counter-protesters also risks the spread of COVID-19 as well as potential confrontations between protesters and counter-protesters. While the NBPS respects everyone’s right to protest, the NBPS would like to remind the public that a declaration of emergency and stay-at-home order is in effect to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and that all individuals should follow public health guidelines."

As far as claims previous rally tickets issued by the NBPS would go unpaid, Woolley responds, "If an individual refuses to pay a ticket they have been issued, that is a matter for the courts."