OTTAWA — An Ottawa-based group with suspected ties to the "Freedom Convoy" says it has been threatened with eviction and is ready to take its cause to court in an attempt to set up headquarters in the country's capital.
The organization calls itself the United People of Canada, and set up shop in a deconsecrated church in downtown Ottawa this summer as part of a conditional offer to buy the space.
William Komer, who sits on the group's board, says members called police Wednesday evening after the landlord's agent showed up and unsuccessfully attempted to kick them out of the building.
Neighbours have protested the group's presence in the community, seeing it as an opportunity for convoy supporters to set up a permanent outpost in Ottawa.
The group claims to have no connection to the protest that denounced COVID-19 restrictions and the Trudeau government in February, though several members of the board have ties to the "Freedom Convoy" movement.
An active real-estate listing for the building is currently posted online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2022.
Laura Osman, The Canadian Press
