Protester Profiles and Media Narratives: A Veteran Officer’s Perspective on the Ottawa Protests

Corrected Transcript

“The profile of the protesters at this event was unlike anything I had seen in my 36-year career. We had everyone—from grandparents to children. On my first day in this assignment, I was even shown a picture of two officers I had worked with in the past who were now among the protesters.

We saw police officers, nurses, and many others in the crowd. Yet, the narrative coming out of Ottawa painted a very different picture. It claimed the city was being controlled by one side and portrayed a complete loss of confidence, but what I witnessed did not support that.

I was concerned about public statements made by officials and the media. I did not see factual evidence to back many of the claims being made publicly, and I found that the subjective, sensationalized assertions only exacerbated tensions.

When speaking to a news reporter, I emphasized this point because both the public and law enforcement officers form their opinions based on such information. My perspective on the framing was similar to what the Prime Minister and Minister Blair said last January 6th: we need to ensure our actions are backed by facts and avoid looking like we are directing a one-sided narrative..