Winnipeg police need to rebuild trust with citizens after lengthy anti-restrictions protest, mayor says

The mayor of Winnipeg says he was glad to see the ongoing anti-restrictions protest near the Manitoba Legislative Building come to a quiet conclusion this week as a result of co-operation and mutual respect between police and protesters.

But Brian Bowman said some of the comments the Winnipeg Police Service has made regarding the protesters who slowed traffic and honked horns in the downtown area for nearly three weeks "raised a lot of questions for Winnipeggers."

And now, he said, it will be up to police to rebuild their relationship with citizens who were negatively affected by a protest that was allowed to last that long.

Those comments included ones made Wednesday by Const. Rob Carver, who told a news conference that officers stationed near the protest site told him the protesters were "one of the most reasonable and most welcoming group[s] of protesters they've ever encountered."

"I don't believe it is reasonable or respectful for Winnipeggers to occupy our streets for three weeks in contravention of numerous laws," Bowman said at a news conference on Thursday.

"We want to see Winnipeggers have trust and confidence in the Winnipeg Police Service and I think there's some work that needs to be done in order to ensure that the Winnipeg Police Service is, in the eyes of Winnipeggers, meeting the needs and values of our community."

Most of the people and vehicles that had been stationed near the legislature grounds on Broadway cleared out ahead of a Wednesday evening deadline set by police. Protesters had been told to be gone by 5 p.m. or risk facing consequences including arrest and criminal charges.

Bowman said he's shared his thoughts on how the protest was handled with Winnipeg Police Board Chair Coun. Markus Chambers. 

In a statement he tweeted later that day, Bowman said he was looking forward to seeing the results of reviews into public communications during times of protest and/or other large events. Council requested reviews by the Winnipeg Police Board and the city's chief administrative officer earlier this month.

He also said the "unlawful occupation has raised many questions and set a troubling precedent going forward."

Bowman's comments stood in contrast to ones made earlier that morning by Premier Heather Stefanson, who thanked officers for the "tremendous work" they did during the protest.

"They are the professionals who handle these situations, and I think they did it with great diligence," Stefanson told Marcy Markusa, host of CBC's Information Radio.

"Obviously, they were able to work closely with the protesters and negotiate with them, and so it was relatively peaceful, from what I've been told. And I'm just happy that things have been resolved peacefully."

Asked whether Manitoba should have taken advantage of the additional powers available while the federal Emergencies Act was in place, Stefanson said officials take their advice from the professionals — in this case, police who said the extra measures weren't needed.

For Manitoba criminologist Frank Cormier, it was striking to see how differently the protest in Winnipeg unfolded compared to the one in Ottawa, where nearly 200 people were arrested.

But he was also surprised to see how long the Winnipeg protesters were allowed to stay.

"It was rather surprising the amount of leeway that appeared to be given to these particular … so-called Freedom Convoy-type protesters, compared to some other groups who have protested or blocked roads or done other things in the past," said Cormier, the head of the University of Manitoba's department of sociology and criminology.

Cormier said while it's always a positive thing when a protest ends without major confrontation, there's also the question of how long people are willing to wait to get that peaceful outcome.

"How long are we ... as a society or as a community, willing to wait and be inconvenienced and have our quality of life affected in order to secure that?" he said.

"It certainly is a legitimate question to ask … why was it allowed to go on as long as it did?"