An arson incident in downtown Ottawa last month had no connection to Freedom Convoy protestors despite allegations from top Canadian politicians like far-left New Democrat (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh.
Ottawa police announced this week that the suspect charged in connection with an arson incident at a downtown Ottawa apartment building on February 6th had no connection to the Freedom Convoy protests against Chinese coronavirus restrictions, mandates and vaccine passports that were taking place at the same time in the city.
Police say that 21-year-old suspect Connor Russel McDonald has been charged with several offences but has no known connection to the Freedom Convoy protests, which were in their second week when the arson incident took place, broadcaster CTV reports.
“There is no information indicating McDonald was involved in any way with the Convoy protest which was going on when this arson took place,” Ottawa police said in a statement.
The clarification from Ottawa police comes after many, including NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, linked the arson incident to the Freedom Convoy protests.
“Violence is commonplace,” Singh said about the Freedom Convoy protests shortly after the arson incident had been reported and added, “We saw an example of this violence, an attempted arson downtown of an apartment building where people started a fire. When they exited they taped the door.”
Canadian journalist Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, a senior researcher for the news outlet True North Centre, tweeted a compilation video of MPs referring to the arson incident as being connected to the protests, including NDP leader Singh.
The first allegations that the arson was connected to the Freedom Convoy came on Twitter on February 6th, when user Matias Munoz released security camera images of the alleged suspects in the arson incident.
“After a night of blaring horns and fireworks until 4AM, some residents had yelled & pleaded with protesters outside to stop. As the fire was being lit, a tenant walked by and nervously asked who they were. One admitted being part of the convoy protests,” Munoz wrote on February 6th.
“It is clear to us, as residents, that this was a blatant reprisal by protesters. Not only have they subjected Ottawa residents to widespread harassment, assault, and aggression, but now an attempt to light an entire building on fire,” he added.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson also connected the arson to the Freedom Convoy protests following Munoz’s Tweets, saying, “Yesterday we learned of a horrific story that clearly demonstrates the malicious intent of these protesters occupying our city.”
“Thankfully no one was hurt, but this story could have ended very, very differently. It’s extremely disturbing, and points to a desire to harm our residents,” Watson said.
Yasir Naqvi, a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party also replied to Munoz’s post on February 7th saying, “If anyone doubted the threat this protest posed to residents of downtown Ottawa — this incident shows the kind of danger the community has been living through. The Ottawa Police need to strictly enforce the law and end this occupation.”
Naqvi is a member of the committee that is set to provide oversight on the use of the Emergencies Act by Prime Minister Trudeau, who used the act for the first time in Canadian history to forcibly move the Freedom Convoy protestors and force tow truck companies to remove trucks parked in the vicinity of the Canadian parliament.