No charges have been laid yet in relation to the anti-lockdown protest that happened Friday in Orillia.
Orillia OPP was contacted, and officers responded and “observed” the demonstration, said Const. Ted Dongelmans.
Asked why no one in the crowd of about 70 protesters was arrested, he said, “Police have discretion.”
“We have a duty to enforce laws, but we also have a duty to educate and a duty to protect the peace,” he said. “We don’t have to lay charges immediately in these cases.”
An investigation is underway, but Dongelmans wouldn’t comment on the likelihood of charges being laid.
He said it’s not uncommon for police to undertake an investigation before laying charges in situations like this.
An OrilliaMatters reporter did not see any police in the vicinity. Asked if there were undercover or plainclothes officers in the area, Dongelmans couldn’t say.
He warned people who might be planning to protest in a similar way that they could be charged or fined.
“The fines are substantial,” he said.
The City of Orillia was asked if its bylaw enforcement officers had issued any fines during Friday’s protest.
“As the Ontario Provincial Police are the primary enforcement agency for the provincial stay-at-home order, any action or potential fines as a result of the anti-lockdown protest in Orillia would be led by the police,” said Jennifer Ruff, emergency information officer.
Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke called the protest “reckless and irresponsible.”
“This type of behaviour has the ability to cause longer lockdowns, so they may be defeating the purpose,” he said.
Clarke said he understands “the frustration and the need for participating in safe activities,” but added Friday’s demonstration was anything but.
“We need to take care of each other, keep people safe,” he said, noting there has been a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 variants of concern confirmed in the region and that they are more transmissible and harmful. “They’re called variants of concern for a reason.”
Those who participated in the local protest should not be let off the hook, he said.
“This type of behaviour can’t go without consequence because it’s putting people in a precarious position, a potentially dangerous position,” he said.
He had a message for any protesters planning to rally again in town: “For the ones who were not from this area — which I understand was the vast majority — stay home.”
