Four men are now facing charges following an attempt at the Peterborough police station on Saturday afternoon (August 13) by followers of self-proclaimed “Queen of Canada” Romana Didulo to “arrest” Peterborough police officers, with police also seeking two suspects for assaults on a counter-protester.
Based in British Columbia, Didulo espouses a mix of sovereign citizen beliefs, QAnon conspiracy theories, and new age spirituality. She claims she has supernatural abilities, including invisibility, because she is a member of a highly advanced alien race called the Arcturians who possess miraculous medical technology. She has more than 70,000 followers on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
Didulo’s name first began surfacing during the pandemic, when she encouraged her followers to distribute “cease and desist” orders to health care workers, politicians, and others supporting COVID-19 restrictions and vaccinations. Last November, Didulo was detained by police after she encouraged her followers to “shoot to kill” anyone who gives vaccines to children. She has also called on her followers to stop paying their energy and water bills and taxes.
One of Didulo’s followers in the Peterborough area is Frank Curtin, who organized and led Saturday’s protest at the Peterborough police station in response to a call from Didulo on Telegram.
“Who amongst you are prepared to keep your city safe, peaceful and secure after you’ve peacefully arrested Peterborough Ontario Police?” Didulo had asked her followers.
Didulo, who was in Peterborough for Saturday’s protest, claims her followers have raised more than $100,000 so she can “tour Canada” in an RV along with her entourage.
Curtin met with Didulo in her RV on Saturday.
Weird, he looked so happy earlier today when he had a meeting her on an RV. Shame pic.twitter.com/NT62otneok
— Johnny Fondue (@Eatsfood2) August 13, 2022
Didulo emerged from her RV at one point to offer vegetables and sardines to her supporters.
Q: What does a Queen feed her subjects?
A: Veggies & sardines
(There’s no punchline, this is real life.) #cdnpoli #Peterborough #QAnon pic.twitter.com/If57IV3TWE
— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) August 13, 2022
At around 1 p.m., Curtin led a group of around 30 people to the Peterborough police station at 500 Water Street in downtown Peterborough.
Dramatic march from Confederation Square to the @PtboPolice station, where Romana Didulo’s supporters plan to arrest the entire (?) police force and turn them over to the military.
Respectfully, this is batshit. #cdnpoli #Peterborough #QAnon pic.twitter.com/DgouHsppLe
— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) August 13, 2022
The group remained outside the police station for several hours, attempting to gain access.
At one point, there was an incident between a protester and a counter-protester.
Counter-protester endures three separate physical assaults from an older lady who grabs his knapsack, lifts her foot to his crotch, and rips off his mask.
This happened directly outside @PtboPolice station. There’s not a single cop in sight. #cdnpoli #Peterborough #QAnon pic.twitter.com/Ba7lRtHpjb
— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) August 13, 2022
At around 4 p.m., police officers arriving for their shift were blocked by protesters, who also tried to gain access to a secured entrance of the police station.
According to the police media release, “the officers attempted to take a protester into custody when officers were surrounded. A protester then struck two officers.”
Frank Curtin and another man get arrested, Romana followers freak out at what’s happening. #ptbo #Romana https://t.co/Rk8F0SUV9R pic.twitter.com/VkjJaaWQ1G
— Johnny Fondue (@Eatsfood2) August 13, 2022
Police arrested a 54-year-old Millbrook man and charged him with mischief and resisting arrest, as well as a 56-year-old man and charged him with two counts of assaulting police.
Although police no longer release names of accused people in media releases, Curtin can be seen in videos posted in social media being dragged by four officers into the police station.
Both accused men were held in custody and appeared in court on Sunday (August 14).
Following the arrests, some protesters remained outside the police station until the evening, with Didulo leaving Peterborough in her RV around 7 p.m.
Later in the evening, Didulo posted on social media that she had asked protesters to “be Peaceful and Calm” and that “Putting oneself in harms way is not the way to do it …”
Rough translation: “everything that went wrong today is Franks fault not mine.”
That’s how this??ends, the most predictable thing that’s happened today. pic.twitter.com/BeVYSfGLKx
— Johnny Fondue (@Eatsfood2) August 14, 2022
On Monday (August 15), Peterborough police announced a third man had been arrested Sunday in connection with the incident.
“Officers took a 31-year-old Peterborough man into custody for his actions during the incident at the rear door of the police station which included kicking the door to the station and striking an officer while doing so,” reads a media release. “The suspect then repeatedly kicked at the door and further encouraged others to participate. The suspect then went to another area and began yelling and banging on the windows of several police cars with officers in them.”
The accused man was arrested and charged with assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, two counts of counselling an indictable offence which is not committed, mischief, and obstructing a peace officer. He was held in custody and appeared in court on Monday.
Peterborough police are also seeking two suspects after several incidents involving the counter-protester, after the man waved down officers who were on general patrol.
“Officers learned that the victim’s sign was ripped, and he was verbally threatened in one incident and had his mask ripped off by another person while out in front of the police station,” reads a media release.
VIDEO: Update from Peterborough Police Acting Chief Tim Farquharson
The first suspect is a white woman, approximately 65 years old, 5’3″ in height, and wearing a light blue plaid blouse and sunglasses. The second suspect is a 50-to-60 year-old man with a white moustache and goatee, around 5’7″ in height, and wearing a black leather vest with chains hanging from the pocket, blue jeans, and a black head scarf.
Here are photos of both suspects being sought by @PtboPolice
Please help identify them. pic.twitter.com/D5W77PgxjS
— Tanya (@TanyaFusco) August 15, 2022
After videos and photos of the two suspects were widely circulated on social media, one of the suspects — a 55-year-old Peterborough man — turned himself in to Peterborough police on Wednesday afternoon (August 17). The man, who is accused of ripping down the counter-protester’s sign, was arrested and charged with mischief under $5,000. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on August 30.
Police are continuing to investigate the female suspect who was observed ripping a mask off the counter protester.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police Crime Line at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.
This story has been updated with new information about the two suspects in the assaults on the counter-protester.
