Thursday, March 28, 2024

VicPD police chief responds to video of officer giving thumbs up to “Freedom Convoy” protestors

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A video circulating on social media of a VicPD officer giving a thumbs up from his vehicle to a crowd of people protesting vaccine mandates has prompted a response from Victoria’s Police Chief.

The officer faced online criticism after giving a thumbs up twice to crowds of people lining the sidewalk near the Parliament building on Saturday, calling for governments to scrap COVID-19 related mandates.

Thousands attended the area in support of the “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa which started in response to the federal government’s vaccine mandate for Canadian cross-border essential workers, including truckers.

Victoria Police Chief Del Manak released a statement on Monday stating he initially viewed the video with concern because “impartiality and neutrality are key” when working as police officer.

“I have since spoken to the officer, who told me that he was responding to appreciative comments from citizens about VicPD’s presence in ensuring public safety at the event,” said Manak.

There are two separate videos of the same officer giving a thumbs up to the protestors—his vehicle is heading in different directions each time, suggesting he looped back around.

In Manak’s statement, he also stated that officers attended 170 protests in 2021 to keep peace and while remaining impartial and neutral “are essential at these events, so is proactive engagement with protest participants and bystanders in the interest of public safety.”

While VicPD said most officers are fully vaccinated, the police force does not require officers or staff members to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Those who are not fully vaccinated must undergo regular testing.

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Victoria Buzz Staffhttps://www.victoriabuzz.com
Your inside source for Greater Victoria happenings. Established in 2012.

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