Toronto convoy protest: What you need to know about plans to prevent a blockade at Queen's Park
CBC
As Toronto braces for a protest convoy of its own, officials are hoping to avoid the kind of blockade seen in Ottawa for the past week where demonstrators in trucks have occupied key areas of the downtown.
With flyers advertising a "convoy for freedom" circulating on social media, police have closed some roads in the downtown core to most traffic to ensure access to hospitals near Queen's Park.
Here are some key details you need to know:
To protect the string of hospitals in the area known as Hospital Row, University Avenue is closed between College Street and Queen Street.
The following road closures are also in place:
Parking restrictions are also in place for a number of surrounding streets.
Police are asking the public to avoid these areas and plan to use public transit if they must travel to the area.
However, hospital staff, workers, patients, family and those picking up patients will have access, police say.
Interim Police Chief James Ramer told reporters police will set up a number of areas where vehicles can be staged. Vehicles will not be allowed at Queen's Park, he said.
As for where those staging areas might be, Ramer said he could not provide specifics when asked on Friday, but said teams are in conversation with protest organizers and are working out details.
Encampments will also not be allowed at Queen's Park, the chief said, with demonstrators only allowed on foot.
Toronto police were tight-lipped about where they might be stationed, except to say there will be a greater police presence in and around the downtown core and other parts of the city. Nor would police say how many officers are being assigned.
Staff Supt. Lauren Pogue told reporters police have installed additional CCTV cameras and that officers have been instructed to have their body-worn cameras turned on.
Ramer was also asked Friday how long police plan to allow any protests to continue. He said the "intention" is to not allow people to camp or stay for "any duration of time."
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