Jean-Philippe L. Ayotte, a peaceful protester caught in the legal crosshairs of Canada’s crackdown on the 2022 Freedom Convoy, remains ensnared in an increasingly alarming legal battle. Despite having no criminal record and engaging in no violent activity, Ayotte was brutally beaten by police, arrested, and charged with mischief—an ambiguous charge that has become a catch-all for persecuting political dissenters. Even more egregious, Ayotte has been denied a jury trial, a fundamental safeguard meant to ensure impartiality in politically sensitive cases.
His plight has sparked nationwide outrage, prompting supporters to launch a petition titled Demand for Jury – JP Ayotte, Peaceful Protester – Trucker Convoy 2022 Ottawa, which has since gained significant support. The case of Ayotte exposes an alarming erosion of civil liberties in Canada, where courts appear to be bending the law to serve political interests rather than justice.
Arrested and Beaten for Peaceful Protest
Ayotte was neither a trucker nor an organizer of the Freedom Convoy. He was simply present at the protest, engaging in lawful assembly. On February 23, 2022, while peacefully demonstrating and even shoveling snow near police officers to show goodwill, he was suddenly arrested and violently subdued by law enforcement.
“They beat me,” Ayotte revealed in an exclusive interview with RAIR Foundation. “Six to eight officers piled on top of me, pushing my face into the snow so I couldn’t breathe. I was terrified for my life, so I pretended to faint. That’s when they finally let up.”
The police violence against Ayotte was part of a broader crackdown, with many protesters subjected to excessive force, including being struck with rifle butts and trampled under mounted officers. […]
— Read More: rairfoundation.com
