A group of protesters gathered on Parliament Hill on Feb. 18 to mark the anniversary of the removal of Freedom Convoy in Ottawa following the invocation of the Emergencies Act by the federal government in February 2022.

Police ramped up their operations against the protesters on Feb. 18, 2022, in Ottawa to clear demonstrators and remove parked trucks, after the act was invoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Feb. 14, 2022. Riot police used pepper sprays and batons, and smashed vehicle windows in some cases.

After the protests were cleared, the act was revoked on Feb. 23, 2022.

The rally on Feb. 18 was held a day after the Public Order Emergency Commission looking into whether the government was justified in using the act released its final report. Commissioner Paul Rouleau said in his Feb. 17 report that he had found “with reluctance” that the government had met the threshold to use the act.

Ottawa police said in the afternoon of Feb. 18 that it had blocked some areas of downtown Ottawa to prevent any disruptions to the Winterlude festival.

Protesters marched around the Parliament Hill area and listened to speeches, with many holding Canadian flags.