Another quiet morning for protesters as they ready for Day 3
CBC
Despite a large crowd Saturday with participants vowing to protest "indefinitely," fewer than 10 protest vehicles were on site Sunday morning.
A couple of police officers kept a watchful eye on the protest site into the early morning, and temperatures are markedly cooler than they were Saturday, at around –11 C Sunday morning compared to Saturday's unseasonably warm 8 C.
A crowd of people calling for an end to COVID-19 mandates has swarmed outside the New Brunswick legislature for two consecutive days.
The protest is part of Freedom Convoy 2022, which has been making its way across Canada the last couple of weeks, and organizers had hoped to create "gridlock" in downtown Fredericton.
The protest did escalate Saturday afternoon with an estimated 700 protesters and 300 vehicles at its peak, according to police, although traffic was mostly unimpeded and businesses were open and operating as usual.
During a speech Saturday, a protester said a barbecue and portable washrooms were set up on site and would sustain the crowd into Sunday and "indefinitely."
Authorities arrested two men for Criminal Code violations, issued three tickets under New Brunswick's Emergency Measures Act and "multiple" traffic tickets, police said in a news release Saturday evening.
A person who allegedly set off fireworks was ticketed under a civic bylaw.
On Saturday, Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers said that, despite larger numbers, the protest remained peaceful and organizers of the demonstrations have indicated that the intention is to keep it that way.
"The organizers are committing to a peaceful protest, and that is what we've witnessed so far, so we are hopeful that is what will continue to unfold," Rogers said.
The protest is expected to continue on Sunday, Rogers said, adding she will likely be visiting the downtown again today.
Temperatures are markedly cooler than they were Saturday – which was unseasonably warm with a high of 8 C – at around –11 C with an expected high of about –8.
