Intelligence services warned of possible 'violent retaliation' after Ottawa protests halted

OTTAWA — Newly released document Intelligence officials tell decision makers that the police dispersal of the "Freedom Convoy" protesters in Ottawa last winter could spark an "opportunistic attack" on politicians or government figures.

The February 24th "threat highlight" was labeled Secret/Canadian Eyes Only, and extremist "influencers" rallied to protests. It warns that the results will be used for continuous recruitment and propaganda. Whether COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have been eased.

Ideologically motivated extremists are "likely to use police enforcement to facilitate violent revenge or as further evidence of government 'tyranny'." He said the rating on page 4.

A partially redacted memo obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act , was one of several integrated terrorists. The Assessment Center conducted an analysis that took place before, during and after the protests that paralyzed downtown Ottawa for three weeks starting in late January.

Overseen by the Canadian Security Intelligence Agency, the Center brings together security and intelligence experts from various agencies to conduct terrorist threat assessments based on classified and open source information. Create a draft of the national and international partners.

Its purpose is to provide senior decision makers with the latest and most detailed information to assess overall threat and risk levels.

Many of the protesters occupied the streets of central Ottawa in heavy trucks, opposing COVID-19 health measures and Justin Trudeau's liberal government. The influx, which included some participants with roots in the far-right movement, caused many businesses to close their doors and aggravate residents with noise, diesel fumes and harassment.

On February 14, the government invoked the Emergency Law. It regulates and bans gatherings, designates safe locations, directs banks to freeze assets, and bans support of participants.

Authorities towed trucks, arrested more than 200 people, and filed hundreds of charges.

Extremist ideologues have compared the government's tactics to those of foreign dictatorships, calling the police response "brutal" and the use of the emergency law as a sign of federal "tyranny." described as further evidence, the Feb. 24 assessment notes. Some online agitation to incite violence surfaced, with some implying that direct action against politicians, police and even their families was the only remaining option.

"This is what usually happens in this kind of movement," said Barbara Perry, director of the Center for Hate, Bigotry and Extremism at the Ontario Institute of Technology.

"When you go against them, they see that they are under attack, that their assessment is correct, that they are silenced, that they are marginalized. and, as they like to call it, threatened by its tyrannical state." and related protests fueled anti-authoritarian sentiment among supporters of ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE).

``The perception that societal resilience is fragile or that government/police responses justify violent resistance can inspire single actors or small groups inspired by IMVE to It is possible to launch an opportunistic attack against the house or its symbol, the government,” the analyst concluded.

"IMVE proponents, whether related to the pandemic or other issues, undermine public trust, increase social cohesion, to attract vulnerable individuals to an ideological cause.”

Future easing of public health restrictions may calm protests, but it will also encourage violent extremism. Those who accept, especially those who "want to accelerate the collapse of the current social and political order," are unlikely to be appeased, the assessment said. she said.

"IMVE's threat to politicians and symbols of government will continue for some time."

"They really set the stage for a broader campaign against all these institutions - governments, science, academics, the media." It attracted a lot of people to disbelief," Perry said. "So I think they will continue to find ways to exploit these fears, ways to exploit, or at least exacerbate, the grievances they create." On March 26, it began tracking a convoy of trucks bound for Ottawa, creating a secret assessment of the potential for opportunistic violence in the margins of the protest.

A February 3 analysis found it unlikely that a coordinated terrorist attack or attack on the Capitol or other federal property was planned.

"The most likely IMVE-related scenario is the use of available weapons such as knives, firearms, homemade explosives, and vehicles in public areas against soft targets, including opposition groups and civilians.