OTTAWA
\nCanadian police on Saturday used pepper spray and stun grenades, and made dozens of arrests as they cleared demonstrators from the street in front of parliament, where they have been camping for more than three weeks to protest against pandemic restrictions.
\nA total of 170 arrests have been made in two days, Ottawa\u2019s interim police chief, Steve Bell, told reporters. Police by afternoon had dispersed the main portion of the blockade in front of parliament and the prime minister\u2019s office.
\nAfter nightfall, police sent a message on Twitter to demonstrators saying: \u201cGet out of the cold and cease further unlawful activity\u201d or risk arrest.
\nCity crews were now engaged in cleaning up and towing away remaining vehicles, Bell told a news conference. But other pockets around the city had yet to be cleared, and there was a risk that demonstrators might change location, he said.
\n\u201cWe are aware of protesters leaving the parliamentary precinct moving to surrounding neighborhoods. We are not going anywhere until you have your streets back,\u201d Bell said, addressing Ottawa citizens.
\nUsing bullhorns, police warned the crowd to disperse or face arrest. For a second day, police also urged protesters to remove young children from the area.
\n\u201cThis is dangerous and is putting young children at risk,\u201d Bell said.
\nProtest organizers for the so-called Freedom Convoy said they had asked trucks to withdraw because of what they called heavy-handed police tactics, and many trucks did exit the downtown core on Saturday. Fifty-three vehicles have been towed, police said.
\nOfficers smashed vehicle windows to arrest people locked inside. Some of those arrested on Saturday wore body armor and had smoke grenades and other fireworks in their bags and vehicles, police said.
\nPolice confirmed the use of stun grenades and pepper spray. Protesters threw smoke canisters, but no tear gas has been used, police said.
\nAs part of the ongoing protests, several border blockades had been put in place in recent weeks, but all had reopened until Saturday, when demonstrators again closed the Pacific Coast Highway border crossing south of Vancouver.
\nMany of the main organizers in Ottawa have been taken into custody, and some have reportedly left. On Saturday, organizers said on Twitter they were \u201cshocked at the abuses of power by the law enforcement in Ottawa\u201d and so had \u201casked our truckers to move from Parliament Hill to avoid further brutality.\u201d
\nThe protest organizers said protesters had been \u201chorse-trampled\u201d on Friday, which police deny.
\n\u201cWe hear your concern for people on the ground after the horses dispersed a crowd. Anyone who fell got up and walked away. We\u2019re unaware of any injuries,\u201d police said on Twitter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
OTTAWA Canadian police on Saturday used pepper spray and stun grenades, and made dozens of arrests as they cleared demonstrators from the street in front of parliament, where they have been camping for more than three weeks to protest against pandemic restrictions. A total of 170 arrests have been made in two days, Ottawa\u2019s interim […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-245494","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n