IT IS JUST ABSOLUTELY SO WRONG.
>> Akshay: I'M JOINED NOW BY
JIM WATSON, THE MAYOR OF OTTAWA.
MAYOR GOOD EVENING.
WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE
TIME TO JOIN US ON CTV NEWS
CHANNEL.
>> MY PLEASURE.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING.
>> Akshay: IT IS GETTING DARK
AND COLD IN OTTAWA AND THE
NUMBERS RIGHT NOW OUTSIDE OF
PARLIAMENT, IT SEEMS THEY ARE
BEGINNING TO THIN DOWN.
BUT REPORTERS ON THE GROUND ARE
SUGGESTING THAT THE TEMPERATURE
OF THE RALLY IS HEATING UP.
WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THE DOWNTOWN
CORE?
>> AS YOU CAN SEE, PEOPLE ARE
LETTING OFF FIREWORKS WHICH IS
NOT ALWAYS THE SAFEST AND
SMARTEST THING TO DO IN A CROWD.
THE CROWD HAS GENERALLY BEEN
PEACEFUL.
THEY BEEN DISRUPTIVE IN THE
SENSE THAT A NUMBER OF OUR
BUSINESSES HAD TO CLOSE DOWN AND
PEOPLE ARE STUCK IN THEIR HOMES
BECAUSE IF THEY LIVE IN THE
CENTRAL CORE THEY DON'T WANT TO
GO OUT AND GET HARASSED.
AND WITH ANY LARGE CROWD YOU
WILL HAVE A SENSE THAT A FEW
PEOPLE WHO ARE STUPID.
IS THE MAYOR FROM BC SAID, I
THOUGHT IT WAS REPREHENSIBLE
THAT PEOPLE WERE PUTTING ANTI-
MASK SIGNS AND UPSIDE DOWN
CANADIAN FLAKE AT THE TERRY FOX
SUTTON -- STATUE.
WE HAVE VIDEO OF PEOPLE DANCING
ON THE GRAVE OF THE UNKNOWN
SOLDIER.
WE HAD TO TOE PEOPLE AWAY WHO
WERE PARKED AT THE NATIONAL WAR
MONUMENT.
THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR SETS BACK
ANY POSITIVE MOVEMENT OR SUPPORT
THAT THE RALLY MIGHT HAVE.
SO MY MESSAGE HAS BEEN VERY
CLEAR.
YOU ARE FREE TO PROTEST.
THAT IS THE GREAT THING ABOUT A
DEMOCRACY.
BUT BE RESPECTFUL OF THE FACT
THAT WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF
PEOPLE, THEY LIVE IN THE CENTRAL
CORE.
THEY WORKED THERE.
THEY HAVE A TOUGH TIME BECAUSE
OF COVID-19.
AND THEN WHEN I SEE THE IMAGES
OF TERRY FOX BEEN DISRESPECTED,
AND DANCING ON THE TOMB OF THE
UNKNOWNS SOLDIER, THAT DOESN'T
BODE WELL FOR THE CREDIBILITY OF
THIS ORGANIZATION.
>> Akshay: THIS HAS SPARKED
OUTRAGE INDEED, BUT ANY WORD
FROM THE ORGANIZERS AT ALL?
IS THIS LIKELY TO SPILL INTO
TOMORROW?
WHAT ARE SECURITY TEAMS TELLING
YOU?
>> THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT
SOME PEOPLE COME BACK TOMORROW.
I MESSAGE AGAIN IS CLEAR.
YOU PROTEST IT, YOU MADE YOUR
POINT, YOU DISRUPTED A LOT OF
COMMUNITIES.
CENTRE TOWN, SO ON, IN OUR CITY.
IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO GO BACK TO
YOUR HOME BECAUSE WE HAVE TO
START REBUILDING OUR ECONOMY
BECAUSE COVID-19 HAS BEEN
DEVASTATING TO SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE HAD TO CLOSE OUR MAIN
DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTRE BECAUSE
IT WAS GETTING CROWDED WITH
PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT WEARING
MASKS.
WE'VE HAD PEOPLE GO IN AND
DISREGARD THE PUBLIC HEALTH
RULES WHEN IT COMES TO GAIN
SOMETHING TO EAT.
NOT WEARING A MASK, ARGUING WITH
17-YEAR-OLD MINIMUM WAGE
STUDENTS TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING
FOR UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE.
THESE KINDS OF BEHAVIOUR BY SOME
PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY
UNACCEPTABLE, AND HOW WOULD YOU
LIKE THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR IN
YOUR HOMETOWN?
SO AGAIN, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO
PROTEST.
THEY HAVE MADE THEIR POINT.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM
LINGERING ON BECAUSE WE HAVE TO
OPEN UP THESE ROADS.
THESE ARE EMERGENCY ROUTES AND
BUS ROUTES FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO
AND FROM WORK, TO GET OVER TO
THE QUÉBEC SIDE, AND AS I SAID I
WORK ECONOMY STARTS TO OPEN UP
MONDAY.
WITH RESTAURANTS AND GYMS OPEN,
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN
OPEN SAFELY AND NOT HAVE THE
IDIOCY OF PEOPLE COMING INTO
ESTABLISHMENTS AND REFUSING TO
WEAR MASKS.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR FOR THESE
PEOPLE IS NOT UNREASONABLE.
I'M NOT TAKING MY MEDICAL ADVICE
FROM THE TRUCKERS ASSOCIATION.
I'M TAKING IT FROM SCIENTISTS
AND DOCTORS AND PEOPLE IN THE
KNOW.
AND I THINK WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE
TO DO WITH WEARING A MASK IS
VERY REASONABLE AND GET
VACCINATED.
THESE ARE THE ONLY TOOLS WE HAVE
TWO FIGHT COVID-19.
AS WE ARE FIGHTING AGAINST THIS,
BRINGING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
INTO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, WHILE
THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THAT I
HOPE THEY CONTINUE TO BE
RESPECTFUL AND NOT CAUSE ANY
HARM TO PERSONAL PROPERTY IN THE
CITY.
>> Akshay: THAT IS RIGHT.
WE WILL OF COURSE KEEP A CLOSE
EYE ON THE D