Ottawa police said, “determined” and “volatile” boycotters remain in Canada’s capital after two weeks of a trucker-led anti-vaccine mandate protest. Ottawa is under a state of emergency after protestors blocked the city centre with cars and trucks.
Police have seized thousands of litres of fuel in recent days. Up-to 25% of the vehicles are carrying children who could be at risk during operations.
The Freedom Convoy began on 9th January in western Canada, as truckers demonstrated against a rule that requires them to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to cross the US-Canada border.
The demonstrations have morphed to provoke anger at COVID-19 restrictions and at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government in general.
Though the rally has been mostly peaceful, police have expressed concern about extremist oratory coming from far-right groups among the protesters. Some danced on the Tomb of the unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial, which was reported as racial and homophobic abuse.
Some miles away from Ottawa, Canada’s busiest border crossing, ‘The Ambassador Bridge’ was partially reopened after protesters ground traffic there to a standstill. The bridge routes between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of Michigan.
Here, more than 40,000 people and $323 Million worth of goods is moved across daily. Truckers rallying in harmony with those in Ottawa had blocked the bridge on Monday night, forcing vehicles to take long detours.
The bridge was reopened for travel from Canada to US. But on the US side, Michigan Department of Transportation said, it will remain closed, and advised drivers to divert to nearby Port Huron to head towards Canada.
A Canadian judge also ruled that the truckers protesting and blocking the Ottawa streets, cannot honk their horns for 10 days.
Police has declined to end the protest as it may aggravate the tensions between the protestors and the Canadian government. Though a lot of protestors say they are at a peaceful protest, but won’t leave until the government scraps the vaccine law.
Police is investigating reports of criminal offence, including public property desecration and hate crimes leading to 3 arrests so far. Demonstrators have spread into other Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver.
Protestors are getting international support from rallies being conducted in Wellington and Canberra. As traffic continued to clog the area, demonstrators in Ottawa faced discrimination from local residents even though many insisted that they were protesting peacefully.
“There’s been nothing but unity, love and peace out here, said John Van Vleet, a trucker from Ontario. “It’s important for me to come down here to fight for my freedoms.”
However, some residents from Ottawa have said that the atmosphere has been tense, especially at weekends when thousands of protesters have descended into the city’s downtown core, spreading into nearby streets and forcing businesses to shut down.
