> It’s fucking disturbing to see people equate BLM protests with what’s happening here. It’s not the same.
Other protests met with stronger state resistance also also involved more aggressive protest behavior. Rights to free speech and assembly have very specific legal boundaries, but that boundary isn't defined by the level of inconvenience felt by the locals.
Yes parking trucks and gathering thousands of protestors in one city has both economic and social impacts, but I have yet to see any legitimate reports of a pattern of violence, destruction, or intimidation.
The city recommended that restaurants in the area close, and on at least one occasion the government was also attempting to have all hotel reservations in the city cancelled. If economic impact on Ottawa was the primary concern, why was no one calling for the government to stop interfering with local businesses that could have provided their services to the protestors?