The OPS provided a press release on January 30 that stated, “Police have avoided ticketing and towing...so as not to instigate confrontations with demonstrators. Still, confrontations and the need for de-escalation has regularly been required.” That comes from the OPS, sir.
On January 27, you referred to situation reports. The RCMP situation report—on page 3 of 281 of the document disclosure—indicates that they were expecting a range from 1,500 to 2,500 trucks. Laws were being broken by the drivers of these vehicles, but if I understand correctly from your testimony, due to safety concerns, they were not always being enforced—among others, the highway safety code.
You have also been quoted in the media saying that you were trying to avoid bloodshed. Were you afraid or did you have concerns that made it such that officers were reluctant to enforce the highway safety code because of concern surrounding what the demonstrator may do?