Thread by @judyatrinh

For me, there's something unsettling about the sight of a Black police chief being undone by a group of predominantly white men flouting laws.
A long thread on the tensions within the OPS that may shed light on what action is and isn't being taken.

Peter Sloly was hired as Chief in 2019. There were high hopes he would help heal the deep racial divide that took place between OPS and the Black community following the 2016 fatal arrest of Somali-Cdn Abdirahman Abdi. "Judge me by my actions" -Sloly said.
cbc.ca/news/canada/ot…

Sloly was coming into an OPS force where many white male officers were feeling they were passed over because of efforts to hire and promote people of colour and women. Here's my report on the leaked diversity census
cbc.ca/news/canada/ot…

Also there was anger among OPS officers when Sloly launched an investigation into a racist meme in the summer of 2020. Some officers didn't think it was racist.
cbc.ca/news/canada/ot…

At around the same time - Chief Sloly helped to settle a human rights complaint alleging racial discrimination. The complaint was launched during the previous chief, Charles Bordeleau's tenure.
cbc.ca/news/canada/ot…

In Sept 2020 - Sloly came under fire by his officers after he wrote an OpEd in the Ottawa Citizen acknowledging systemic racism on the force after video of a traffic stop was shared on social media.
ottawacitizen.com/opinion/sloly-…

Ottawa Police Union President Matt Skof countered and said Sloly's remarks about systemic racism inflamed the rank and file. He said Sloly "failed the leadership test." Watch this interview with @CBCAdrianH
cbc.ca/news/canada/ot…

In Oct 2020 - OPS senior officers went into overdrive trying to strengthen relationships with minority communities. They were bracing for the verdict of Cst. Daniel Montsion. He was acquitted in the death of Abdirahman Abdi. Hundreds protested.

Then one month later Sloly approved the use of force to end a small protest of Indigenous and Black activists. They were outnumbered 3:1 after blocking off an intersection for 36 hrs to draw attention to defunding police. Police arrested 12 ppl.

Back to the Convoy Protest:
On Monday Chief Sloly called the police response a "success" because there were no outright acts of violence. Two days later he called the protest an "occupation" and admitted that police couldn't end it by themselves.
cbc.ca/news/canada/ot…

There is a lot of criticism of Sloly's leadership and decisions. Does he have the support of his members some who may sympathize with Convoy protestors? The head of the Convoy security is a former RCMP officer who refused to get vaxxed.
ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new…

So what is the solution? Policing costs are more than $800K a day and there isn't a lot to show for it. Downtown Ottawa residents feel abandoned and are taking matters into their own hands organizing counter protests.
instagram.com/p/CZdbFoXrOpV/

Police/the city let them drive huge trucks into the core, build illegal camps. There is public intoxication/urination/defecation.
Conservative MPs are posing for photos with them.
cbc.ca/news/canada/sa…

Then there are the extremists who are part of this protest. The Q-Anon conspiracy theorists, the people who fly Confederate flags and display Nazi symbols. We have to acknowledge that White privilege is driving this protest and a Black Police Chief may take the fall. -30-

Adding this. Also police officers from across Canada who are anti-vaccine mandate have joined the Convoy protest.
Did that impact Ottawa Police response in the capital?
policeonguard.ca/police-on-guar…