Ottawa
Canadian police moved Friday to clear a trucker-led demonstration against Covid-19 health rules, arresting 70 people and towing away dozens of vehicles in Ottawa, with tensions flaring as darkness fell.
Hundreds of protesters who have been choking the streets for weeks with big rigs were estimated to still be refusing to go, and the gradual clearance process was likely to continue into the weekend.
Throughout the day, heavily armed officers — including on horseback — lined up against protesters who locked arms, advancing slowly and methodically to push back the spirited crowd.
But as twilight approached the situation grew more tense and police lines pushed harder. Police tweeted that protesters were “assaulting officers, have attempted to remove (their) weapons.”
Earlier in the day an AFP journalist saw several demonstrators led away in handcuffs as police and tow trucks moved in.
While most simply surrendered, a few demonstrators were wrestled to the ground, and at least one who refused to exit his truck had his windows smashed and was dragged out by police.
Ottawa interim police Chief Steve Bell said 70 people had been arrested and charged with “multiple and various offenses, including mischief.” “We’re in control of the situation on the ground and continue to push forward to clear our streets,” he said. “This methodical and well-resourced plan will take time and we are here to see it through to a safe ending.”
The so-called “Freedom Convoy” started with truckers protesting against mandatory Covid vaccines to cross the US border, but its demands have grown to include an end to all pandemic rules and, for many, a wider anti-establishment agenda.
At its peak, the movement also included blockades of US-Canada border crossings including a key trade route across a bridge between Ontario and Detroit, Michigan — all of which have been lifted after costing the economy billions of dollars, according to the government.
