Authorities in Canada say they are beginning a sweep to arrest Freedom Convoy truckers who have paralyzed traffic in Ottawa for three weeks in a protest against the country’s vaccine mandates.
As dawn broke on Friday, police appeared to be moving in for the final crackdown. ‘There is a large police presence on Nicholas Street, protesters are being advised to leave immediately,’ Ottawa police said in an alert.
‘Some protesters are surrendering and are being arrested. We ask protesters to remain peaceful and lawful.’
Ottawa Interim Police Chief Steve Bell has vowed that the protests, now in their third week, will end this weekend, warning demonstrators: ‘It’s time to go, this is coming to an end.’
Canada’s House of Commons suspended Friday’s vote to approve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s emergency powers, citing an imminent police action outside the doors of Parliament, where Freedom Convoy protesters are making their final stand.
In a statement on Friday morning, just hours ahead of the scheduled vote, Speaker Anthony Rota said that ‘a police operation is expected to take place on Wellington Street and other locations in the downtown core of Ottawa.’
Using powers under the Emergencies Act, Ottawa cops have established a ‘no-go’ zone with 100 checkpoints encircling the Freedom Convoy, cutting them off from support and preventing additional protesters from joining the demonstration blockading the streets around Parliament Hill.
On Thursday night, key protest leaders Tamara Lich, 47, and Christopher Barber, 46, were arrested, and organizer Pat King said on Friday morning that he planned to surrender for arrest.
Lich and Barber were both charged with counselling to commit the offence of mischief, and Barber was additionally charged with counselling to commit the offences of disobeying a court order and obstructing police. They are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Police walk through parked trucks to make an arrest on Wellington Street, on Thursday, the 21st day of a protest against COVID-19 measures that has grown into a broader anti-government protest, in Ottawa
A man dances as protests against vaccine mandates continue, along Wellington street near the Parliament of Canada, in Ottawa on Thursday
Tamara Lich (left) was arrested in Ottawa on Thursday after she and her followers denied orders to leave the blockade in the center of the capital. Chris Barbe (right) is seen on Thursday afternoon being arrested by Ottawa police
The truckers, joined by thousands of demonstrators and some 400 vehicles, turned the streets around Parliament into a noisy party zone since first arriving on January 28, in what has become one of the worst crises to hit Trudeau since he took power in 2015.
Police made a handful of arrests Thursday evening, including of Barber, one of the main fundraisers and organizers, after authorities said action was imminent. Barber went without resistance after police told him he was being arrested for mischief.
‘We absolutely are committed to end this unlawful demonstration. We have the plan, we have the commitment, we have the resources,’ Chief Bell told reporters on Thursday.
Police will set up a perimeter with 100 checkpoints around downtown to stop people without legitimate reason from entering, he said.
‘This weekend will look very different than the past three weekends,’ he added. Previous chief Peter Sloly quit this week amid residents’ fury about what they saw as police inaction.
The truckers’ protests started against vaccine mandates for cross-border drivers, a measure in place in the United States, too. But slowly it spread across Canada and morphed into an anti-government movement.
Protesters blocked several land crossings with the United States, including the busiest, the Ambassador Bridge which connects to Detroit, for six days, hurting both economies.
Trudeau invoked emergency measures on Monday giving his government extraordinary powers to end the unrest
Ottawa Interim Police Chief Steve Bell has vowed that the protests over vaccine mandates, now in their third week, will end this weekend, warning demonstrators: ‘It’s time to go, this is coming to an end.’
Calling the blockades a threat to democracy, Trudeau invoked emergency measures on Monday giving his government extraordinary powers to end the unrest. Government officials said they were worried about extremists causing violence.
Under law, any use of the Emergencies Act must be brought before Parliament within seven days for approval.
Debate began Thursday and will continue, according to the Act, ‘without interruption’ until the vote is called. After Friday’s planned vote was cancelled, the House faced a Monday deadline to act.
Many protesters on Parliament Hill said they would not leave until their demands were met.
‘End the mandates, give us our rights and this is over,’ said Chris Dacey on Thursday. ‘We’ll all go back to our families.’
The border blockades turned the pressure on Trudeau to act swiftly, and U.S. President Joe Biden asked him to use federal powers.
‘The illegal blockades and occupations have to stop and the borders have to remain open,’ Trudeau told legislators on Thursday as Parliament started debate on the Emergencies Act, which needs to be passed within seven days of an announcement.
But the official opposition Conservative Party says there was no need for the Emergencies Act, especially since the border blockades are over.
Conservative Parliamentarian Jeremy Patzer told the House of Commons on Thursday that people around the world were alarmed to see Trudeau ‘come down on peaceful protesters with a sledgehammer.’
‘It is absolutely shameful,’ he added.
