The negotiator behind the deal with Freedom Convoy says Ottawa was too quick to exercise emergency powers.

A man who negotiated with Tamara Rich and other organizers of the Freedom Convoy on behalf of the City of Ottawa said there was enough time for an agreement for the truckers to leave Street in the city. It states that it was not given before the federal government used emergency powers to quell the weeks-long occupation.

"This is a stain on Canada's history," Dean French said of Justin Trudeau's decision to invoke the emergency law on February 14. public. 

"History will prove this was a complete overreaction."

Beginning in late January, protesters rallied against pandemic restrictions. and blocked access to neighborhoods and highways around Parliament Hill by clogging the streets with trucks and other vehicles.

This act gave authorities broad temporary powers, including the power to freeze protesters' bank accounts and credit cards. Attending events considered illegal gatherings, such as the Ottawa Convoy protest, has also become illegal.

Last week, unsealed cabinet meeting minutes showed Prime Minister Trudeau enacting the law just one day after being told by his national security adviser of a possible "breakthrough" in the crisis. It was revealed that the unprecedented means of activating the

The office of Canada's Minister of Public Security later stated that the minutes referred to negotiations led by the City of Ottawa that ``finally has failed," he said. Denied by many people associated with the convoy.

The government considered the outcome of these negotiations "as a factor in its decision to invoke the emergency law," the minister's office added.

Meeting with convoy leader over pizza

Dozens of trucks were beginning to move out of residential areas when emergency laws were invoked.

"Why did the Trudeau Cabinet say on Sunday night [13 February] that '[Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson], a very credible and respected mayor, has reached an agreement. Or We have three days to see if this peaceful solution works. He said he approached Watson four days earlier, on February 10, about helping to resolve the fleet crisis in Ottawa.

See / Negotiator says Trudeau government should have waited 

The government's use of the Emergency Act is a 'stain' in Canadian history.

Dean French, who led negotiations with the Ottawa mayor and the convoy leader, said the government said it should have waited to see if protesters had cleared residential areas after the deal was struck. emergency law. "History will prove this was a total overreaction."

By February 11, he had been killed by Rich and other Freedom organizers in his convoy. He said he met several people in person over pizza downtown. Hotel in Ottawa.

"Basically, the deal closed that night," French said. 

According to his February 12 letter from Watson to Rich, the agreement provides for the removal of all protest trucks within 72 hours. Removed from a residential area and from a baseball field parking lot. They were to move to Wellington Street, just south of the Houses of Parliament. 

The mayor wrote that Watson would meet with Rich if there was "clear evidence" that the motorcade had started clearing from the neighborhood by noon on February 14th.

In a reply letter sent the same day to , Rich told Watson that the Board of Freedom Convoy agreed to his request. said he did. Business” and consolidate vehicles around the Capitol.

"We will be working hard over the next 24 hours to get the truckers' consent," he wrote. "We hope to begin redeploying trucks on Monday."

Lich's non-criminal case counsel Keith Wilson told CBC that Lich and other convoys Handed over note from host. Hundreds of Fleet participants told us about their new strategy that day.

"Trucks need to be relocated to avoid giving the prime minister an excuse to use force to seize the truck," the memo read.

Force trucking companies to seize protest vehicles — one of the expanded powers granted by invoking emergency laws — listed as an option in the Cabinet Minutes was as early as February 12, the day before the Cabinet heard about a possible breakthrough.

Details of the agreement were made public hours before the ministerial meeting, signaling a "breakthrough" to Prime Minister Trudeau and his cabinet, French said.

"It was very clear," he said of the agreement. "I'm surprised that the language from the Security Advisor to the Prime Minister was not in the least direct. 'The mayor has reached an agreement.'" 

Contract announced After some, but not all, of the trucks moved out of the residential area, Rich's Twitter account questioned whether the deal actually took place.

Kapelos is also another Fleet major figure, Pat After the deal, King said, some protesters publicly said they would not budge.

"Yes, I should have backed off a bit and clarified," French said, adding that he "would like to know" how many trucks were moved, according to Ottawa police.

"I think that's the key question," he said of the hearings set to begin on September 19 to analyze the reasons for the Trudeau administration's use of emergency measures. said.

Watson's office confirmed this week that the mayor never met Rich. 

The mayor declined to comment on the reported "breakthrough" and was scheduled to attend the inquiry. 

A spokeswoman for the Public Order and Morality Emergency Commission said the full list of witnesses will be released closer to the start of the investigation. 

Lack of police communication hampered movement: Rich's lawyer

In a tweet last week that criticized the Trudeau government for invoking the emergency law, Wilson called the city and Talked about trading between convoys. 

" In his Feb. 13 tweet, Lich said that Lich's explanation of the lack of agreement was "bad wording."

He also pointed to a follow-up post stating that plans would move forward. 

Trucks started moving the next morning, but multiple police

More trucks were expected to move over the next two days, which remained blocked due to poor communication within the service. But Wilson said it by February 16 — two days after the Emergency Act went into effect and one day policeprotested to leave downtown Ottawa. — he was "said the federal government and the new police chief were blocking the deal from being carried out" and no more trucks w move to Wellington or be allowed to travel outside the city.

Other unsealed court documents — these were the Canadian Civil Liberties Association sued over the federal government's use of the law The issue of police communication during the occupation stems from this.

"Plans appear to be in short supply in Ottawa, and the Ottawa Police Chief (OPS) has not yet approved the plans developed by the RCMP and OPP." Read minutes from February 12 meeting of the Cabinet and other members of the Government's Incident Response Group. 

"During the [meeting], confirmation was obtained that the OPS Police Chief accepted the plan." It was pointed out that there continues to be a “critical challenge to communication with the OPS Chief.”

Peter Sloly said he resigned as Ottawa Police Chief on February 15th.amid allegations that he clashed with members of his OPP,RCMP is tasked with assisting the city's law enforcement efforts during this crisis.

Ottawa Police declined to comment on Wilson's allegations regarding minutes and police communications.

"The Ottawa Police have not yet received information confirming that they will be offered the opportunity to attend the hearings, but intend to cooperate fully with the hearings and will be given the choice. If you do, you will appear before the Public Security Emergency Committee," a police spokesman said.