Albertan Pat King produces video of his own arrest after his constant social-media presence helped inspire the truck convoy protests in Ottawa
Mr. King is prone to online boasts, threats and misinformation. He has built an online following of hundreds of thousands of people. Early this year, his anti-vaccine-mandate posts on social media helped kickstart the protests.A class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Ottawa residents names Mr. King as a leader of the convoy protest. But the protest’s central leadership does not acknowledge him. “He’s not one of our organizers,” said Dagny Pawlak, a spokesperson for the group.
“I do not represent Pat King in any capacity,” said Keith Wilson, a lawyer for the group. “I do know that I will not be his lawyer.” The protests in Ottawa have have been ongoing since Jan. 29. The police crackdown began Thursday night, as authorities took two protest leaders into custody. One of them, Chris Barber, a trucker from Swift Current, now faces mischief charges. So does Tamara Lich, a founding member of the Western separatist Maverick Party, who sings in a bar band in Medicine Hat.Police officers stands guard on Wellington Street.
Late on Friday, the protesters issued a statement. “Three of our organizers have been arrested,” it said, naming Ms. Lich, Mr. Barber and Mr. Bulford. “This is a grass roots movement and others will fill their roles. We will continue to hold the line.” The massive police operation in Ottawa to clear the trucker protest continued on Friday afternoon, with 70 arrests and vehicles being towed that had been part of the blockade near Parliament. Interim police chief Steve Bell told a news conference that the police will operate 24/7 to clear the protest.Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines.
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