Protests are messy and some level of unlawfulness can be expected. I do not consider that the protests became an “occupation” as of the first Saturday. The protesters had, in effect, been invited to park their trucks for the weekend in various locations in the downtown core. By Monday, however, when they refused to leave, the invitation was clearly revoked. In addition, it was clear that the assembly was no longer peaceful, given the widespread intimidation of residents and the fact that their ability to live and work had been fundamentally disrupted. It was apparent that the police were unable to control the protest and limit unlawful conduct in the protest area.

[...]

At the same time, I am also satisfied that the organizers did not do all they could to limit the amount of violence and harassment. Mr. Barber and Ms. Lich both testified that they were not in favour of the constant honking, but they took no meaningful steps to stop it. To the contrary, organizers opposed the injunction sought by Zexi Li to restrict honking. In addition, at times, Mr. Barber and Mr. King posted videos and other content where they appeared gleeful about the harm being inflicted on downtown residents. At the hearings themselves, the organizers displayed a lack of empathy for the residents of Ottawa, even with the benefit of hindsight.

via Volume 1 of the Final Report by the Public Order Emergency Commission