OTTAWA— The federal government produced daily intelligence briefings by RCMP and senior public servants on the so-called “Freedom Convoy’s” growing ranks and fundraising — reports that flagged rising concerns as copycat protests sprang up across the country and around the globe, and the Ottawa police appeared powerless to contain it.
Unlike the Ottawa police — whose chief and some subordinates predicted the protest might only be a weekend-long event — federal officials flagged from the get-go that its likely duration was unknown, and that the RCMP had concerns about possible “lone actors” or ideologically motivated individuals who might join in.
