Protesters arrested during Black, Indigenous lives demonstration in Ottawa released

All the protesters arrested when Ottawapolice dispersed a downtown demonstration in support ofBlack and Indigenous livesearly Saturday morning have been released from custody.

The protest involvedmany advocacy groups, including the Justice for Abdirahmancoalition, whichformed afterthe death of Abdirahman Abdi, a Black Ottawa man,during a violent arrest in 2016.

The demonstratorshad beencamped out at the intersection of Laurier Avenue and Nicholas Street, near the University of Ottawa, since Thursday afternoon.

Police dispersed the demonstration at about3:30 a.m. Saturday, removing protesters and charging 12 people with mischief.

Following the arrests,protestersgatheredoutside the Ottawa Police Serviceheadquarters on Elgin Street to support those who hadbeen arrested.

At about 2:30 p.m., the Justice for Abdirahman coalition tweeted that all protesters had been released and thanked everyone who hadbeen at the demonstrationfor the past two days.

Police also confirmed that all 12 people charged had been released, as had one youth who'd received a warning.

Earlier on Saturday, Ottawa policesaid a section of Elgin Street was closed to traffic, as had services at the police headquarters' front desk. They have bothreopened.

In a newsrelease, police said the demonstration had disrupted traffic andblocked an important route for emergency responders, causing "multiple safety issues." The forcesaid it offered protesters alternativelocationsand gave multiple warnings before shutting down the demonstration.

'They didn't do anything wrong'

After the arrests, the Justice for Abdirahman coalitionvoiced feelings of betrayal on Twitter.

DahaboAhmed-Omer, a member of the group, was one of the protesters who later gathered outside police headquarters.

"We want our people to be released. We want them to be given their freedom; this is their right," Ahmed-Omer said. "They didn't do anything wrong. They were peaceful.

"They shouldn't have been arrested. They were given 10 minutes to pack up."

'An erosion of trust'

TheOttawa Police Services Board said itschair, Coun. DianeDeans,and membersCoun.RawlsonKing andDaljitNirmanhad agreed tomeet with members of the coalition "for the purposes of a constructive dialogue" at noon on Saturday.

But those members called off the meeting after the arrests, said Deans, who added thatshe approached the demonstration's organizers later in the day to see if talks could be struck up in the future.

"I think there has been an erosion of trust," Deans told CBC News. "I think that we have to continue to talk about the issues and, you know, listen to each other and move forward together."

In an earlier statement, Deans had said the police board cannot "interfere in the operational decisions" of police and was not involved in the decision to shut down the demonstration.

The board is also set to discuss a proposed $13.2-million increase to the Ottawa Police Service's budgeton Mondayone of the main concerns of the demonstrators.

Protesters were alsosupposed to meetmembers of city council at 10 a.m., according to the Ottawa Black Diaspora Coalition, another group taking part in the demonstration.

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"There was a promise to have a discussion," Ahmed-Omersaid. "The promise was broken by arresting our community members that were exercising their right to demonstrate."

Coun. Shawn Menard and Ottawa Centre NDPMPP Joel Harden alsovoiced their dissatisfaction with the actions of police on social media.

"I'm hearing that there was no warning," Menard wrote on Twitter. "Resolution was going to happen in the morning with a meeting with [councillors]. The situation was escalated instead."

Coun. Catherine McKenneywas outside themain police stationSaturday morning and said thatas a city councillor, they felt compelled to show solidarity with protesters.

"Protesters felt betrayed. I think that, you know, it was unexpected," McKenneysaid.

Still,McKenney said,arrests are a police matter andcity council doesn't direct operations.

According to police, the Laurier Avenue and Nicholas Street intersection is now open and police continue to monitor the area.

The protest outside Ottawa police headquarters has also ended.