Police ask for patience during 'convoy-style' protest in Charlottetown

Prince Edward Island RCMP will join Charlottetown police to monitor a slow rolling 'convoy-style' protest taking place in Charlottetown this Saturday.

The City of Charlottetown warned businesses and residents to expect delays because of the protest against COVID-19 protocol, which begins at 1 p.m. along University Avenue to the Charlottetown cenotaph.

"Organizers of that convoy have been contacting us for several weeks now telling us their plans," Charlottetown Police Chief Brad MacConnell said. 

Organizers of the protest have told police about traffic routes they would occupy, and crowd size estimates, MacConnell said.

"The benefit of knowing that is we can police appropriately. We have a number of officers to assure public safety but to lessen the traffic impact," he said. 

"Our job is to try to manage all of that and keep people safe, and I can tell you that speaking with the organizers, we have a level of confidence that they're willing to work with us and allow us to do our job."

MacConnell urges Charlottetown residents to tolerate delays from the slow rolling convoy protesters.

"We recognize this is not a perfect situation and it's not going to be without its impact but I urge people, our citizens, our business owners, to have patience to allow this to transpire," he said.

"The best thing for everyone is for us to allow this convoy to get through the city as quickly as possible."

MacConnell said he's been assured by protest organizers that order will be maintained, and protests will be "lawful." He does not expect blockades from the slow-rolling convoy.

"I can tell you that this particular P.E.I. group that's protesting in relation to what's happening in Ottawa is not sort of any anti-military, anti-police group. They have their own mandate of what they're protesting, but I am not advocating for that."