Many protesters yesterday greeted news that police had erected an overflow jail with dismay and concern.
More than a dozen cage-like cells have been erected inside an empty warehouse at the southeast corner of Catherine and Percy streets in Centretown.
The makeshift jail can hold between 200 and 250 prisoners should police have nowhere else to put them.
"I'm surprised to hear that," said Aileen Leo, a spokeswoman for the Protect the Right to Protest witness group. "It's unfortunate police feel the need to arrest that many people.
"It makes me nervous ... Police have jails already. I don't think it's necessary."
DOWNPLAYED
Police continued to downplay the overflow jail space yesterday, saying it was only a contingency plan.
"If you don't plan for something, you get caught," said Ottawa police Staff Sgt. Monique Ackland. "It's part of planning in any major event. We hope not to need it."
Police Services Board chairman Herb Kreling echoed those sentiments.
"The overflow is precautionary and really just a precaution in the event that a need arises," he said.
"Nobody is going into next week with the intention of having to use it. It's not something we intend to use."
Michel Duquet, an Ottawa resident marching yesterday to improve living conditions in Third World countries, said he was appalled by the overflow jails.
ALL THE SAME
According to Duquet, the makeshift prisons are a good indication police would not discriminate between peaceful and violent protesters.
"They put us all in the same boat," he said. "It will be a prison for anybody."
But not everyone was upset at the news.
"These places are for violent people," said Taiwo Olalere.
"I'm not really bothered by it. It's meant for people who are violent. I'm not worried. I'm not going to be violent."
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