Maggie Hope Braun – Interventions

Yeah. It had been going on two years of mandates, and they just seemed to get more and more restrictive. I had tried every avenue available within our system to communicate the difficulty that I was seeing around me and experiencing to our government at various levels, and nothing was effective and the tone was not changing coming from the Federal Government, and I was just losing hope and really looking for options on how I could find more -- a more -- peace and safety for my family, and I felt really isolated. And then I'm seeing the convoy begin. I also lived out west for 10 years, so I have a lot of -- a lot of my support network was there and I couldn't travel there. And so there was a lot of people who I know personally who were sharing stories about how it was affecting them where they were. And I just felt since I'm three hours away from Ottawa I have a duty to go as well and to not just represent myself but many Canadians who could not come, and felt passionately about this.

17-094-13

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I came the second Saturday. I came the third weekend for the entire weekend, and I came back that Wednesday and stayed until the end.

17-095-04

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Well, when we first arrived, I came with a girlfriend for the Saturday, and there was just a lot of energy. I was seeing people from all different backgrounds and cultures, different outfits and, you know, cultural outfits that I had never even seen before in Canada. I -- there was lots of hugs and there was -- walking up, there was just grown men crying and giving hugs and -- everywhere, and it was emotional and we cried. We had spent a long time feeling like we were really alone and not being able to go out and really not being able to even talk or share our experience in our family gatherings because we were -- our -- we were not welcomed to speak openly about what we were experiencing. And -- so to be - - it felt like this was our family. And I saw so many good things I could just go on for an hour on that. Saw lots of flags. I saw -- yeah, I think that's good for now.

17-095-09

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Can I -- can I add?

17-097-07

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Okay. Yeah, the first weekend that I came, I came with my -- a female friend and she stayed at my house the night before and we were reading the news, the Global News, and they had something in there about we haven’t received a police report yet on how many -- how many additional rapes had taken place in the city since the convoy arrived. And -- and that just really shook me that they would go to that extent to make just -- anyway, that way. But when I got here, the experience was -- like the -- the positive masculine experience, the way that the men were behaving, they were complete gentlemens (sic). And you know, I felt not unsafe whatsoever in the city. And when my phone died and I went back, I wasn’t familiar with the streets, I was approached and walked to my car and just treated with such respect by the men that were here.

17-097-09

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Could you repeat the question?

17-098-12

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Yeah, I came to Ottawa for Valentine’s Day, so that was the day that it was invoked, February 14th, if I’m correct. That day, I witnessed hundreds of roses being offered to the police officers. There was a lot of love. There was a lot of trying to heal the divide that was trying -- that was being created between us and the police. And the streets of Ottawa were covered in roses that day. And further to that, just listening to the Senators give their speeches, I felt that -- that as they were supposed to approve it, but then it was removed before they had a chance to approve it or not, it sounded like there was good reason to stick to what I felt was right and stay. And I don’t believe that -- if a government passes a law it means that we have to go against what we believe is right. We should still -- you know, we still have a right to peacefully protest and assemble. And if we can’t do that in front of the Parliament in Ottawa, I don’t -- I don’t know, you know.

17-098-17

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Well, I believe that we still had -- have a right to protest in the downtown area or anywhere, that we were peaceful and as long as we remained so, we had a right to assemble and -- yeah. I had another point to that, but -- if you could repeat the question again.

17-099-12

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

That’s correct.

17-101-05

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I was at a hotel that was very close to Metcalf and Queen, I believe, so I’m not sure the names. I was at a hotel that weekend.

17-101-08

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

It would have been on the Thursday before the -- that weekend, 17th, maybe. I’m not sure.

17-101-13

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Yes.

17-105-15

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

It was all -- I guess at that point, we couldn't really go past Chateau Laurier, so I, for the most part, spent most of the protest up on Wellington, right in front of the Parliament building. I did walk around and see the sites a little bit, but that day, it was from Chateau Laurier to down Wellington, and then I was arrested when they had cleared Wellington and protesters were then on the side streets, so I was on O'Connor at that point.

17-105-18

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Not -- no, not in that effect, no. There was -- no. The -- obviously, we got the sense that we weren't welcome there, but I wasn't directly told that I wasn't allowed to be there and -- in that way, that it wasn't lawful for me to be there.

17-106-01

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

The massive amount of police and their presence was taking over the city it seemed, so it -- and the news media, and Justin Trudeau's words and, you know, more that I wasn't welcome there, not that it -- I shouldn't -- that it was not lawful for me to be there. I believed it was lawful for me to be there, and I didn't hear otherwise.

17-106-08

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

No, there was no place provided or planned for us to go. And not only that, but afterwards, people were still coming from across the country, and places like Arnprior, they were assembling there, and the owner of that property was threatened with fines if he didn't have us disperse. So it wasn't even that we weren't welcome in Ottawa. We weren't even welcome to assemble an hour outside of Ottawa. So it extended beyond that red zone, in my opinion, in my experience.

17-106-19

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

So when police had effectively removed everyone from Wellington Street, they had all the streets with the trucks on them at this point, and I was on O'Connor and I had a bit of hope that they would stop there because we were remaining peaceful as protesters. We were there from all over the country. And there was a man who had the Charter of Rights, or I guess it was the Bill of Rights. It was a document. They look the same and they both represent human rights, and -- and so I took three copies of that. And there was three different police units it seemed. They had different types of uniforms, so they appeared to be -- so I spoke to each unit, and I said, "You may have been able to justify this up until this point, but if you keep moving forward and you -- onto the people, because we're just the people now, that you have the trucks, you will be trampling our Charter of Rights with your boots." And I put it down in front of each one of them, and I - - in the middle of the street, I knelt down, and in front of the Charter, and I told the police officers that if they move forward, I'm willing to not resist arrest and I won't move, at that point. So but that was my line in the sand so, yeah.

17-107-02

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

So for me, the impacts where I was already -- I’ve always been concerned about our government overreach, and we have to keep an eye on our government. That’s what our duty, as people -- the citizens of the country are, is to be politically active and involved and aware of what’s going on. And over the years I’m just increasingly starting to lose faith in the institutions and what, you know, we say is -- we are Canadian, we’re a democracy; we attract people from all over the world because this is a place where we have rights and freedoms. And to me it -- the impact was that 00 it was evident to me in a very clear way, and seen among the entire world, that the Canadian government is not acting on the -- is not -- this is my opinion, obviously, not acting according to what we mandated it to -- what -- it’s not protecting us, it’s not upholding its job. It’s not doing its job. And, to me, it just broke any allusion of that. And at the same time, I think it’s important that we see that, as Canadians in the world, so that we can fix it, so that we can make it better. And we need to kind of keep that in check, you know? It’s the nature of being in a world and -- filled with people. We have to ---

17-109-06

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

--- balance it out.

17-110-01

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

More personally, the impact for me is -- after speaking to a therapist, just, you know, clear signs of PTSD-like symptoms around what happened. And my whole life was really turned upside down from that time forward, and has impacted my life. It’s a completely different life now, before and after that day, so...

17-110-20

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I don’t think so. I’m good, thank you.

17-111-03

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Good afternoon.

17-111-26

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I don’t recall the very tops -- top line; sorry.

17-114-08

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I’m sure -- I’m sure it is, if that’s what you’re looking at.

17-114-12

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

That’s correct.

17-114-17

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Yes.

17-114-20

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I’m not sure.

17-114-25

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I would imagine it would be the lawyers that were taking our statements.

17-115-03

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I don’t believe so, no.

17-115-07

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I was speaking to them on the phone, so I’m not sure.

17-115-11

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I couldn’t see them.

17-115-14

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Pardon?

17-115-17

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

It was ---

17-115-20

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I was contacted through the Justice Centre.

17-115-23

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

It was basically word for word of they asked me questions, and I gave a response, and this is exactly what I said to them on the phone, so yes.

17-115-28

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Okay.

17-116-07

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Yeah, I'll agree with that.

17-116-09

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I do -- I don't know. I'm not somebody who -- I understand that words can be titles for things. To me, Canada Freedom Rights Movement are four words that represent what I believe I'm part of. So I don't know. It looks like a good heading to me.

17-116-15

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Okay.

17-116-24

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I was interviewed by a lawyer who was here working on -- working with the Commission. So I don't know.

17-116-28

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

No.

17-117-13

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

The Justice Centre is who ---

17-117-16

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

--- took mine.

17-117-20

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Not yet, no.

17-117-24

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Yeah, at this point I have tried to contact the government so many times I'm kind of going to, you know -- it's very frustrating. I have spent a lot of time trying to contact government agencies and have assistance, and have not gotten anywhere for many years at this point.

17-118-03

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

No.

17-118-14

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

No.

17-118-22

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Not to my knowledge.

17-118-24

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Not here with me, no.

17-119-03

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I provided them with a letter from my chiropractor who spoke to the state my back afterwards. Also, with a trauma specialist, a psychologist, filed a letter from that professional as well. And I believe that's all of the notes that I have provided them.

17-119-06

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

No.

17-119-13

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I don't think it was submitted. It wasn't.

17-119-16

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

No.

17-119-19

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Yeah.

17-119-22

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

That's not what I was gathering from it, no.

17-121-05

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I knew that they wanted to clear the area.

17-121-10

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I was aware of that, yeah.

17-121-13

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Well, they were still debating it in the house the day that I was arrested. So I wasn't really ---

17-121-17

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

On the 19th.

17-121-22

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Okay, it passed, but it was still being debated, and it hadn't passed the Senate.

17-121-25

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

No. I had a hotel, though, booked. So I was...

17-122-03

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Sorry.

17-123-07

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Everyone was on the road, yeah.

17-123-23

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

No, the big ---

17-123-28

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Everyone was obstructing a roadway that day.

17-124-05

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

And the police were also obstructing the roadway ---

17-124-10

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

--- if you think of it ---

17-124-13

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

--- like that.

17-124-16

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Yeah.

17-124-20

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I did.

17-124-22

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

That's wonderful. Okay.

17-125-08

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I am now, and I will be happy to ---

17-125-12

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I have only just met them here.

17-125-19

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I do, yeah.

17-125-23

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I’m not sure. Sorry. Can you -- benefit from? Can you say that again?

17-125-27

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I’m sorry. I’m not really very familiar with what you’re speaking to right now. Everything’s happening very fast, so I’m ---

17-126-04

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I understand, yeah.

17-126-09

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Thank you.

17-126-15

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Yes, and the Charter is in front of me and there are several people also kneeling and praying.

17-129-23

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Or doing however they’re -- yeah.

17-129-27

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

It’s me.

17-131-24

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I’ll be very brief. So when -- after I was behind the police line -- it’s all in my statement, that’s fair, but I was thrown to the ground and there was a lot of weaponry around, and I looked up and there was a gun pointed, it appeared to be, at my head. And from there, I was taken outside the city and dropped off. And again I was at a towing -- place where they were towing the trucks and there was no shelter; there was no place to plug in your phone. There was nothing. And, thankfully, people came and got us, so yeah.

17-135-16

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

It was. And even between us and the police, up until those last days, it was a wonderful experience.

17-136-16

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Given the events of the last couple years and the actions of our government, it would actually -- I felt very safe there and ---

17-137-23

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Sorry.

17-137-28

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Again, I'm just going to say, given the context of the last couple years and the actions of our government, I -- I've -- would take -- be there with that. Yes, if it was outside of my -- if it happened outside of my door and I had people and I hosted people afterwards and ---

17-138-04

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

I won't deny the fact that that would be -- that there was a lot of energy being brought to Ottawa and ---

17-138-11

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

It would be okay with me, yeah.

17-138-16

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Absolutely not. If anything, if anyone had any of that, there was a lot of healing with that, coming together for freedom, from all over the world.

17-140-26

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

That's right. So from the video, you saw that I was kneeling down. I had told the officers that I was willing to be arrested and that I would not resist. And at that point, they -- I ended up on the ground with my hands in front of me, and a very heavy knee went into my back, and there was several officers on me. And because I caught my fall with my hands and they wanted my hands behind my back, they kept saying, "Put your hands behind your back," but I couldn't because of the weight. And it took some time, at least a minute, at which point I thought, okay, I'm going to dare look up. And I looked up, and there was a gun right at my head, a long rifle gun.

17-141-06

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

It looked like it was the barrel of the gun.

17-141-20

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

It was one of the officers. And I remember it was more beige kind of camo.

17-141-24

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Thank you.

17-141-28

Maggie Hope Braun (Convoy participants)

Hello?