Chris Deering – Interventions

Sure. I joined the military quickly in 2007, finished my training very quick. I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008. So in less than approximately two years, I was in Afghanistan. Four months into my tour my vehicle was hit by a IED, which struck my vehicle, sorry, it blew my vehicle about 100 feet in the air, killing three occupants immediately and leaving me seriously wounded. I came back to Canada, and -- sorry, I lost my train of thought. I'm sorry.

17-091-26

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Yes, sir.

17-092-10

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

So left to right. Left would be my Queen Jubilee medal. It was lost during the protests with a scuffle with the police. Second is my Campaign Star from my tour in Afghanistan; and my Sacrifice medal that I earned for being seriously wounded in combat.

17-092-13

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Yes, sir.

17-092-20

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I do.

17-092-23

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

It really wasn't that I wanted to come to Ottawa, it was that I felt it was my duty and that I had no choice to be there. Seeing what was happening over the last few years was troubling, and I felt that... I was there two weekends, first to -- on -- between February 11th and 13th, in which a bunch of veterans took down the fence that was wrongly placed around the Memorial, and then I went home, and then within days the Emergency Act was being -- was looked at being enacted, and I rushed back to Ottawa to do what I could to protect the peaceful citizens of the Ottawa protests.

17-093-11

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

The mandates. I was there to protest the mandates.

17-093-24

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Because for the last two years, personally, as a wounded veteran, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't take my family to a restaurant. I couldn't take my kids to gymnastics. I couldn't grieve my comrades in Nova Scotia because I wasn't allowed to cross the border in my own vehicle by myself to a cemetery where no one was living and lay my flowers for my mental health, and I was denied that for two years. There is many more reasons. And again, my train of thought is lost. I'm sorry.

17-093-28

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

My experience was that when we got to Ottawa -- so on the way to Ottawa, actually, when the convoy was making their way to Ottawa, we attended a few -- there were a lot of people that would stand on the bridges to show support. And so where we lived, we lived close to a military base, and there must have been four to five thousand people on this bridge waving flags and -- it was amazing. It was just -- the amount of support was incredible. We made our way -- sorry. We made our way February 11th, the first weekend, just to kind of -- we wanted to see for ourselves what was going on because when we watched the news, there was one -- there was one narrative and we wanted to see for ourselves because on Facebook and social media you’d see a whole completely different other story. So we wanted to go there for ourselves. So our first instance was myself and my wife. We went up to see what was going on. We -- I participated in the fence removal, again, went home. The following -- I think it was the -- February 17th, I left my residence at 5:00 a.m. to go to the protest, but during the protest there was again -- there was hugs, there was homeless people being showered with food. I had read that crime was down. It was -- it was the most amazing experience I’ve had in my life, and I don’t regret going or being there one bit. And sorry, could you refresh my memory on the question again?

17-096-01

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

There’s a lot more I could pack into that, but it was just -- it was the true Canadian spirit that was there.

17-097-04

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

So I remember they were voting on that and my wife and I were lying in bed. And we were terrified how the vote was going because we knew or we felt that the evidence would -- would not be able to substantiate such a call. I felt there was a great need for me to be there not just as a veteran but as a seriously wounded veteran to be there to protect the Canadian people from what could potentially happen.

17-098-02

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

My understanding is that it was a mandate. In my eyes, it was an unlawful mandate. I’m a free citizen of this country. I’m a taxpayer. I’m a veteran. I’m a good person. And I felt I had the right to be there with my Canadian citizens to try to protect them.

17-099-22

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Yes, sir.

17-100-03

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

So I drove up February 17th. I left my house at 5:00 a.m. because it takes me approximately 10 -- the drive is 10 hours. With my back and my foot and my conditions, I have to stop every few hours. So I arrived in Ottawa some time that evening. I parked my car, I remember, on Bank Street. I walked up to the memorial to just congregate with the veterans. I went back to my car and, knowing me, I got lost for an hour and a half. I walked around the city. I eventually found my car, which is where I slept. We had came up the previous weekend, which was about 1,000 bucks for the hotel and food and I didn’t really have the means to pay for more hotel and lodging, so I slept in my car the previous night.

17-100-06

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

No, I don’t.

17-100-22

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I believe so.

17-100-25

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I forget.

17-101-01

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

So I was at the memorial that day around 8:00 in the morning. I had my coffee and I was congregating with a few different vets. And then just, I would say, north -- or south -- my navigation’s a little off, but just about 100 feet from the memorial is where the police started to line up and that’s when the call-out went. All the veterans -- so there was about 20 or so of us. We lined right up, we linked arms and the consensus was we were going to stay there and try and protect the people.

17-101-22

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

It was our duty. When I joined the military, I swore an oath to protect people. I went to a war zone to protest those people. I never thought that some day I would have to do it on Canadian soil, but I did, and I will again. I would.

17-102-05

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

No.

17-102-13

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I was.

17-102-16

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Sure. So I remember about 12:45 is when we -- we lined up, we linked arms -- 12:25, sorry. And we had a chance before the police decided to make their push -- we had about 15 minutes to kind of converse and I had the chance to speak with four or five officers. I left them know who I was, why we were there, what we were doing, the fact that we were peaceful. I showed them the photo of my crater of my bomb, just to get them some reference, so that if they did arrest me, and, again, I mentioned to every policeman I talked to, I said, "If you arrest me, keep in mind I have a really bad back, please." Sorry, if you can repeat the question again? Sorry.

17-102-19

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Okay, right. So I had a chance to converse with the police, multiple police. After I spoke with them, they would move down the lines. They didn't want to really have anything to do with me. Finally, there was one member that came up. He didn't know my situation as much. I did have a chance to refresh his -- to give him my reference points, my photo and my story quickly, but about 45 minutes into the pushing, I kind of underestimated the amount of physical toll it would take on my body after 14 years of not being able to do what I could do when I was 20. My muscles and my body was just -- I had given up. I was finished. And the video would show that I succumb, and I gave myself to the police. And as the police took me down, again, he knew, he kneed me in my side, kicked me in my back. I was laying down. I was in the fetal position on my back. He kicked me in my ankle and my foot. As I was laying down, I had my hands completely up. I'm saying, "I'm very peaceful. I'm peaceful. I'm not resisting." I was then punched four or five times in my head. I had a knee on my back to keep myself down. I was on the ground for one-and-a- half to two minutes. My hands were zip tied. The officers slowly picked me up and then we slowly proceeded to the processing line. We get to the processing line. The day was minus 20. I had no gloves on. At the beginning of the processing line, we're standing there, and I had asked -- so and -- sorry, the duration of the processing line was one-and-a-half to two hours, so I was standing there in the cold for two hours. I asked the policeman who was on both sides of me, I said, "Do you mind, you know my conditions, is it okay if I sit or kneel because I'm in chronic pain?" It was obvious. My face was flushed, and I had cried multiple times, and I don't cry ever. I was -- it was the worst pain I had felt since I'd been blown up. The fact that I couldn't sit, or stand was, to me, cruel and unusual punishment. We would go 15, 20 minutes without even moving. I also asked if I could have my medication, in which I had my prescription and my medication on my person, so that if I needed it, I could ask. I asked, and I was denied my medication to comfort my duress. We finished the processing line after about two hours. Police took my -- on the whiteboard they put down my name, they took my photo. They then placed me in the back of the squad car. They read me what I was being charged with, which was mischief -- public mischief and -- sorry, I'm forgetting the other one. Public mischief and -- sorry, one minute.

17-103-05

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Public mischief and ---

17-104-24

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

So we were -- again, we were linking arms. We were standing. We were not moving. We were not progressing, moving forward. We were telling the cops what they were doing was -- it was unlawful order. We had every right to be there under our Charter of Rights and Freedoms to peacefully protest, which we were doing. They had no right to do what they did.

17-105-01

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

No.

17-105-11

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Can you repeat, sorry?

17-107-27

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Can you repeat the question again, sorry?

17-108-01

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Sorry, I'm just having a bit of a brain fog at the moment.

17-108-06

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

From what I understand of the mandate is just -- it’s just that, it’s a mandate. It’s not a law, we didn’t vote on it; people didn’t want it. It was pushed upon us, and I felt it was unlawful.

17-108-13

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

The mandate was the -- it was the Emergencies Act; sorry.

17-108-18

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Sorry; was that for -- sorry; could you say it again? Was that for me?

17-108-22

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Of the impacts of these...?

17-108-26

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

For the past two years?

17-109-01

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

In the events in Ottawa. Sorry; I just need a minute.

17-109-04

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Can you repeat the question one last time? I’m sorry.

17-110-04

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

It’s such a loaded question, I’m sorry, there’s so many emotions going in my head in the last -- the last two years, it’s just been constant persecution after persecution. And I find that when -- the government has a role but when they want to get into your lives and tell you who you can see, when you can see them, and dictate everything about your life, and when they get too intrusive, the overreach for me was just -- it was just too much. And, again, I just -- I had to be in Ottawa. It was just -- it was my duty; I had no choice.

17-110-09

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

If I could, I’d like to speak directly to you, sir. I think I’d like to ask you and, as a veteran, I’m asking you that, if this never happens again, you have the power of a whole country behind your opinion. Please use it. Protect the Canadian people from this kind of misbehaviour from this government towards its people ever again, please. Thank you.

17-111-06

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Good afternoon.

17-111-25

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Okay, I don’t remember that; sorry.

17-112-03

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

These are just my notes, sorry, they’re so I can reference. Because of my traumatic brain injury, I need some things referenced, so...

17-112-07

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Yes.

17-112-13

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

It’s in there, yes.

17-112-15

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I’m not sure of that document, sir. I’m going to look, but I don’t recall that.

17-112-20

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Can you repeat the title, please?

17-112-24

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

If you could it on the screen, sir, I would ---

17-113-01

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Yes. I don’t have that with me, sir, but I have seen it, yes.

17-113-12

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Notes, to reference, sir.

17-113-16

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Just recently so I can remember; sorry.

17-113-20

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

No, sir.

17-113-27

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

That’s right.

17-114-03

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I’m not sure.

17-114-24

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Sure.

17-116-08

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Everything in this is correct. I wrote everything myself. Again, I do forget also who assisted with me, that's an effect of my traumatic brain injury, I'm sorry.

17-117-06

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

No.

17-117-12

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Not yet.

17-117-25

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I have not contacted them, no.

17-118-01

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

No.

17-118-13

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Not yet.

17-118-15

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Not to my knowledge.

17-118-23

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Sure.

17-118-28

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Yes, sir.

17-119-26

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Sure.

17-120-01

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I did.

17-120-04

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Sure.

17-120-06

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I didn't read the newspapers; sorry.

17-120-10

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I didn't read the newspapers or listen to the news because they were lying constantly. Sorry.

17-120-13

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Can you say it again? Sorry.

17-120-19

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Can you say it again? Sorry, I just ---

17-120-22

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to repeat one more time. I'm sorry.

17-120-27

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

No.

17-122-02

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

No, that's incorrect. I was pulled down and beaten. Sorry.

17-122-08

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Sorry. I said I was pulled down. I was not on my knees. I was pulled down and beaten. Sorry.

17-122-12

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

No, I was standing up. Sorry, I was pulled down.

17-122-17

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

That's correct.

17-122-21

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

That's correct.

17-122-24

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I wouldn't say better able, I just said we're more accustomed to it. Most civilians are not ready to be beaten. I was ready for it.

17-123-01

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

It was me who was on the knees.

17-123-04

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

At what time?

17-123-10

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I was on the road. What's the question?

17-123-12

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I was on the road?

17-123-16

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

That's hard to say. There was a lot of snow, so I don't know where I was, on the grass, on the road, I'm not sure.

17-123-18

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I didn't hear that.

17-124-21

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Absolutely.

17-124-27

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Not aware of that until just now.

17-125-03

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Okay.

17-125-07

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I am now.

17-125-11

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Thank you.

17-126-14

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I was.

17-126-28

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

They did. The first 20 minutes I had my medals on my jacket and with the shoving with the police, at one point one of my medals, my Queen Jubilee medal, broke off and I lost it.

17-127-03

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Yes, it is.

17-128-16

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

Excuse me?

17-128-22

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

It is me.

17-128-25

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I believe last we time we spoke, so when the processing line was finished, after the two hours of standing in the freezing cold, not able to sit or kneel, and denied my medication again, I was then -- I had my information taken, I was then placed in the back of a squad car. They read me what I was being charged with, which was public obstruction and mischief. So I said I understood. The police officer then -- the police officer then left the vehicle for five minutes. He came back and he said, “Well, today’s your lucky day. You’re not being charged.” I said, “That’s great.” I said, “Can I know what’s -- why that changed?” He said, “No, you don’t need to know that.” So at that time, I felt that it was my understanding that I’m free to go because I’m not being charged with anything. Then the next five, 10 minutes they put me in a paddy wagon with no direction. They didn’t say, “Go in here.” So, again, I mean, I had no choice. I go in the paddy wagon. I’m there for 25 minutes. I don’t know where I’m going, don’t know how long I’m there. Eventually, the paddy wagon does fill up over the next couple of hours. Then they drive us around for approximately half an hour to 40 minutes. It was very hard to tell because there’s no windows, of course, in the paddy wagon; you know, there’s no concept of time. They then drove us to a Public Works building that was 10.2 kilometres away from Parliament Hill. When they let us out of the paddy wagons, they gave us our possession back. They gave us no paperwork. The police officer came out and he gave us a stern warning and said, “You don’t come back to Ottawa, or you’ll be charged.” They gave us all our possessions back and -- sorry; most of us, due to the cold, our cell phones had died. No-one had any money; no-one had any masks. We couldn’t go into the building to make a phone call. So we were stranded. So we were forced to walk to a Wendy’s that was -- and I forget the approximate distance; we had to walk from that Public Works building in the snow, in the freezing cold to a Wendy’s. I had a called a friend that I had just met prior the night -- on the 17th, I met someone for five minutes and he said, “If you need anything in Ottawa...” And this is the type of people we met in Ottawa. I met him for two minutes, five minutes, and he said, “If you need anything, you call me and I’ll pick you up right away,” and whatever. And he did exactly that. I picked him up -- I called him at Wendy’s, I said, “Can you please us up? We have no money. We have no means. We don’t know where we are, we’re not from Ottawa.” It was just -- I never thought that I would get dumped out of the seat like trash by my -- by the police. It was ---

17-133-18

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

It was.

17-136-11

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

It was amazing. It was the Canadian spirit.

17-136-14

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

I'd probably join in, yes.

17-138-21

Chris Deering (Convoy participants)

You're welcome.