RCMP worried convoy protesters would target Trudeau, echoing election threats

The concerns are outlined in assessments by the national police force's intelligence personnel that were tabled as part of evidence presented at the Emergencies Act inquiry.

The RCMP worried that after arriving in Ottawa, participants in the “Freedom Convoy” would try to pinpoint Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s location, documents suggest — just as demonstrators had tried to do during last year’s election campaign.

The concerns are outlined in assessments by the national police force’s intelligence personnel that were tabled as part of evidence presented at a public inquiry probing the Trudeau government’s use of the Emergencies Act in response to last winter’s protests.

The weeks-long demonstrations, which blockaded downtown Ottawa and several border crossings, were driven by opposition to COVID-19 restrictions such as mask and vaccine requirements. Many participants voiced their opposition to the federal government in general and Trudeau himself.

Flags and signs bearing Trudeau’s name alongside an expletive were frequently seen across different protest sites.

At the time, Trudeau said those protesting federal and provincial COVID-19 health rules in Ottawa were a “fringe minority” who held “unacceptable views.” He is set to testify at the Public Order Emergency Commission on Friday.

According to a threat assessment prepared Jan. 26 — just days before thousands of protesters, many of them in heavy trucks, began descendingon downtown Ottawa — RCMP analysts warned that Trudeau’s residence might be a target for demonstrators.

“It is possible protesters will seek to identify where the prime minister is, based on his itinerary or any open source information posting his location,” the document says.

“The potential for some individuals involved in the convoy to attend the prime minister’s location, should it be a reasonable distance to travel, is possible should his location be publicized.”