The woman who got a court injunction to stop the incessant horn-honking in downtown Ottawa last February is among the first witnesses at a public inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act today.
Zexi (ZEX-ee) Li (LEE) is one of a handful of Ottawa residents and city officials who will testify before the Public Order Emergency Commission about their experiences during the so-called Freedom Convoy.
The Liberals used the Emergencies Act for the first time on February 14 as protesters opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and lockdowns blockaded border crossings and occupied streets around Parliament Hill.
The law temporarily granted police extraordinary powers and allowed banks to freeze accounts.
During the first day of hearings Thursday, a lawyer for Ottawa police said they had little time to prepare for the protests, and could not have predicted the impact it had on the city.
The provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta say they had no idea the prime minister was planning to use the act until Valentine's Day, when he called to say it was under consideration.