After nearly two weeks of anti vaccine mandate protests led by truckers, Ottawa police say “volatile” and “determined” demonstrators remain in the Canadian capital.
The city of Ottawa has declared a state of emergency after protesters blocked the downtown area with trucks and cars.
Thousands of liters of fuel have been seized by police in recent days.
According to police, up to 25% of the vehicles contain children who could be at risk during operations.
The so-called Freedom Convoy began on January 9 in western Canada, as truckers protested a rule requiring them to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to cross the US-Canada border.
The protests have evolved to include opposition to Covid restrictions as well as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government in general.
Though the rally has been mostly peaceful, police have expressed concern about far-right extremist rhetoric among the protesters.
Some danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial, in addition to reported racial and homophobic abuse.
Almost 80 criminal investigations have been launched in connection with the protests, including allegations of hate crimes and property damage.
Approximately a dozen people have been arrested.
While attempting to seize fuel from a protest truck, one officer was allegedly attacked.
Deputy Police Chief Steve Bell told the press on Tuesday: “Our message to the protesters remains the same: don’t show up.
There will be repercussions if you do.”
He stated that police discovered approximately 100 trucks with children inside and had contacted the Children’s Aid Society due to concerns about the convoy’s noise, fumes, and hygiene.
The Ambassador Bridge, located 756 kilometers (469 miles) south of Ottawa, was partially reopened on Tuesday after protesters brought traffic to a halt.
The bridge connects the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of Michigan, and it carries over 40,000 people and $323 million (£238 million) in goods every day.
Truckers protesting in solidarity with those protesting in Ottawa had blocked it on Monday night, forcing vehicles to take long detours.
The bridge has reopened for traffic from Canada into the United States
However, the Michigan Department of Transportation said the bridge remained closed and advised drivers to divert to nearby Port Huron to enter Canada.
As traffic clogged the area, demonstrators in Ottawa faced hostility from local residents, despite the fact that many insisted they were protesting peacefully.
“There has been nothing but love, unity, and peace out here,” said John Van Vleet, an Ontario truck driver.
“It’s critical for me to come down here and fight for my liberties.”
However, some Ottawa residents have reported a tense atmosphere, particularly on weekends when thousands of protesters have descended on the city’s downtown core, spilling into nearby streets and forcing businesses to close.
“We’re all tired of it,” said Marika Morris, a local.
“They have no right to hold us hostage.”
Residents’ nerves were also frayed by the constant blaring of air horns.
An Ottawa judge ruled on Monday that the truckers must refrain from honking their horns for 10 days.
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Protests have also spread to other Canadian cities such as Toronto and Vancouver.
Internationally, there have been protests in New Zealand’s capital Wellington and Australia’s capital Canberra.
On Tuesday, the Canadian province of Alberta announced that some of its Covid restrictions including the contentious vaccine passport would be lifted as of midnight.
Masking requirements for school students will be phased out beginning Monday, and children under the age of 12 will be exempt from all mask mandates.
Premier Jason Kenney denied the move was in response to trucker protests.
“We’ll never be able to fully account for the extent of the pain and hardship caused by restrictions,” Mr Kenney said.
“We cannot continue to be in a state of emergency indefinitely.
We must begin to heal.”
He did, however, argue that “for the rest of our lives, we’re probably going to need to take an annual Covid shot, similar to the annual flu shot.”
Saskatchewan, in the country’s west, has also stated that it is willing to lift all Covid restrictions.
“We want things to return to normal as soon as possible,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said.
After nearly two weeks of anti-vaccine mandate protests led by truckers, Ottawa police say “volatile” and “determined” demonstrators remain in the Canadian capital.
The city of Ottawa has declared a state of emergency after protesters blocked the downtown area with trucks and cars.
Thousands of liters of fuel have been seized by police in recent days.
According to police, up to 25% of the vehicles contain children who could be at risk during operations.
The so-called Freedom Convoy began on January 9 in western Canada, as truckers protested a rule requiring them to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to cross the US-Canada border.
The protests have evolved to include opposition to Covid restrictions as well as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government in general.
Though the rally has been mostly peaceful, police have expressed concern about far-right extremist rhetoric among the protesters.
Some danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial, in addition to reported racial and homophobic abuse.
Almost 80 criminal investigations have been launched in connection with the protests, including allegations of hate crimes and property damage.
Approximately a dozen people have been arrested.
While attempting to seize fuel from a protest truck, one officer was allegedly attacked.
Deputy Police Chief Steve Bell told the press on Tuesday: “Our message to the protesters remains the same: don’t show up.
There will be repercussions if you do.”
He stated that police discovered approximately 100 trucks with children inside and had contacted the Children’s Aid Society due to concerns about the convoy’s noise, fumes, and hygiene.
The Ambassador Bridge, located 756 kilometers (469 miles) south of Ottawa, was partially reopened on Tuesday after protesters brought traffic to a halt.
The bridge connects the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of Michigan, and it carries over 40,000 people and $323 million (£238 million) in goods every day.
Truckers protesting in solidarity with those protesting in Ottawa had blocked it on Monday night, forcing vehicles to take long detours.
The bridge has reopened for traffic from Canada into the United States.
However, the Michigan Department of Transportation said the bridge remained closed and advised drivers to divert to nearby Port Huron to enter Canada.
As traffic clogged the area, demonstrators in Ottawa faced hostility from local residents, despite the fact that many insisted they were protesting peacefully.
“There has been nothing but love, unity, and peace out here,” said John Van Vleet, an Ontario truck driver.
“It’s critical for me to come down here and fight for my liberties.”
However, some Ottawa residents have reported a tense atmosphere, particularly on weekends when thousands of protesters have descended on the city’s downtown core, spilling into nearby streets and forcing businesses to close.
“We’re all tired of it,” said Marika Morris, a local.
“They have no right to hold us hostage.”
Residents’ nerves were also frayed by the constant blaring of air horns.
An Ottawa judge ruled on Monday that the truckers must refrain from honking their horns for 10 days.
Protests have also spread to other Canadian cities such as Toronto and Vancouver.
Internationally, there have been protests in New Zealand’s capital Wellington and Australia’s capital Canberra.
On Tuesday, the Canadian province of Alberta announced that some of its Covid restrictions, including the contentious vaccine passport, would be lifted as of midnight.
Masking requirements for school students will be phased out beginning Monday, and children under the age of 12 will be exempt from all mask mandates.
Premier Jason Kenney denied the move was in response to trucker protests.
“We’ll never be able to fully account for the extent of the pain and hardship caused by restrictions,” Mr. Kenney said.
“We cannot continue to be in a state of emergency indefinitely.
We must begin to heal.”
He did, however, argue that “for the rest of our lives, we’re probably going to need to take an annual Covid shot, similar to the annual flu shot.”
Saskatchewan, in the country’s west, has also stated that it is willing to lift all Covid restrictions.
“We want things to return to normal as soon as possible,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said.
