Seven people, including an American man, were arrested over the weekend in Canada following protests that originated in the country’s capital over COVID-19 restrictions.
Police also issued more than 500 citations in connection to the “Freedom Convoy” protests as Ottawa officials on Monday looked for ways to contain the demonstrations that began roughly two weeks ago. Ottawa Police Service issued a warning Monday that “anyone found bringing fuel to the demonstration trucks in the red zone could be subject to arrest and charges.”
The latest pushback from authorities has only strengthened the resolve of truckers who have vowed to remain in place until vaccine mandates and other coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted.
“A lot of people back [the truckers],” Russ, a hotel employee in Ottawa, told the Washington Examiner.
OTTAWA MAYOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY WHILE ‘FREEDOM CONVOY’ PROTESTS CONTINUE
The protests began after a group of Canadian truckers and their supporters drove from Western Canada to Ottawa to challenge a regulation that requires truckers returning from the United States to show proof of vaccination. If the truckers are not fully vaccinated, they will be subjected to COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirements. There are similar requirements on the U.S. side of the border.
Though the Ottawa protest began with the truckers, it has shifted to a wider focus that demands all COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown measures be lifted.
Over the past few days, the protests have grown dramatically in size and support, with most of the frustration felt by the pandemic-fatigued public aimed directly at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau, who has been isolating after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, initially tried to downplay the demonstrations, arguing they did not represent the majority. However, as more and more people joined the cause, he shifted his tone. Trudeau has lashed out and claimed protesters desecrated war memorials, stole food from the homeless, flew racist flags, and spread disinformation. Protesters pushed back on the allegations and accused Trudeau of stretching the truth to discredit them.
Over the weekend, the demonstrations, which began on Jan. 29, spread across the country. In Toronto, trucks blocked a major intersection for hours. Protests also popped up in Winnipeg and Quebec City, with truck convoys congregating near provincial legislatures in Albert, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia.
In Ottawa, Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency.
“Someone is going to get killed or seriously injured because of the irresponsible behavior of some of these people,” he said.
Other Ottawa city officials, including the chief of police, said they were under “siege.”
Late Sunday, armed police seized a tanker truck with more than 700 gallons of diesel fuel from a staging area used by truckers and arrested multiple people for transporting fuel.
Protesters were filmed chanting, “Shame, shame, shame” as the incident took place.
Some Truck Convoy protestors express their anger directly at police for this raid. pic.twitter.com/H8Fsfs4X93
— Judy Trinh (@judyatrinh) February 7, 2022
One protester named Eric told the New York Times his group was prepared if the police tried to take more diesel fuel or have their trucks towed, though he did not provide details.
“What we are doing is within the law,” Eric said.
Ottawa’s City Council is expected to meet Monday afternoon to find a suitable resolution.
The protests have already paralyzed the city’s core and forced some small businesses to close temporarily. Heavy trucks have been driving down residential streets, blowing air horns at all hours of the day and night. There have also been reported incidents of residents being harassed for wearing masks.
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Watson told Canadian radio station CFRA the truckers were behaving “insensitively” and had turned the protests into a party.
“Clearly, we are outnumbered, and we are losing this battle,” he said. “This has to be reversed — we have to get our city back.”
