After a week of protest by truck drivers against the corona measures and a vaccination obligation in the Canadian capital Ottawa, Mayor Jim Watson has declared a state of emergency. The measure is necessary because of the ” danger and threat to the safety of residents” posed by the ongoing protest, it said in a statement.
The protest in Ottawa started a week ago with a meeting of a convoy of several hundred trucks. Since then, the self-proclaimed Freedom Convoy and the activists have been based in the city near the parliament. The protest was prompted by the vaccination requirement for truckers returning from the US, which was introduced in January. In the meantime, the protest is directed against the corona measures as a whole.
After a week of protests, residents of the Canadian capital have had enough of the protests. According to Mayor Watson, residents can barely go out to do their shopping, and the constant honking of the trucks keeps the children awake. Watson has had enough, and order must return, but he does not feel strong enough because his police force is short of men. Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly estimated the number of protesters at 5,000 on Saturday. About a thousand trucks and other vehicles blocked the downtown area. Residents were advised to avoid the city centre.
The police again called on the activists to leave the city centre on Sunday. Since Saturday, more than 450 fines have been issued, including for dangerous driving and noise pollution. Several activists have been arrested. In addition, nearly 100 investigations have been opened, including into hate crimes, police said.
By declaring a state of emergency in his city, the mayor of Ottawa wants more options to stop the protest. He did not say which measures he intends to take in concrete terms, but he did not rule out the possibility that his services may have to use force. “This is a serious emergency, where all options are on the table, including violence. Although we want to keep that as limited as possible… If those people don’t want to leave, then we have to force them to do so. It’s as simple as that. not last for months.”
According to a recently published poll, a large part of the Canadian population supports the corona measures despite these protests. In Canada, nearly eight in ten residents are fully vaccinated.