An Ottawa Police officer sits in their cruiser on Wellington Street below Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. The criminal trial of two "Freedom Convoy" organizers will delve into how public transit was impacted by the three-week protest that clogged downtown Ottawa streets last year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – An Ottawa courtroom heard that public transit service was mostly suspended through the downtown core during the “Freedom Convoy” protest last year.
Natalie Huneault with OC Transpo is testifying in the criminal trial of two of the protest organizers, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber.
Huneault is responsible for planning detours to accommodate events and demonstrations that disrupt bus service in Ottawa.
She says about 150 stops in the downtown core were not in use during the demonstration because streets were blocked and closed.
Before the convoy arrived, she says the longest route disruptions lasted three days during Italian Fest.
The convoy disruptions lasted more than three weeks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2023.
