The Ottawa Police have arrested 70 individuals and towed 21 vehicles as authorities crack down on trucker protests across the country empowered by the Trudeau government’s use of the Emergencies Act, the department said via Twitter.
“DEMONSTRATORS: You must leave. You must cease further unlawful activity and immediately remove your vehicle and/or property from all unlawful protest sites. Anyone within the unlawful protest site may be arrested,” the Ottawa Police also said on Friday via Twitter. The ongoing protests, which initially began in opposition to vaccine mandates for truckers, have evolved into broader demonstrations against the Trudeau government and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The protests pose an ongoing threat to the country’s economy and security, Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti said on Friday.
Meanwhile, Canadian law enforcement agencies are preparing to take “imminent” action against participants in the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa, who demand the government scrap COVID-19 vaccine mandates, interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said. “We’ve been bolstering our resources, developing clear plans and preparing to take action. The action is imminent,” Bell told a news conference on Thursday. The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) will be assisted by the country’s federal police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and other law enforcement agencies from Ontario and Quebec, Bell said.
