![]() “We can stay here for months if we want,” said Harold Jonker, a 49-year-old trucker from the Niagara region, a five-hour drive from Ottawa. A Monday court injunction had already halted excruciatingly loud truck horn blasts, replaced by the regular revving of truck engines. The hundreds of police officers deployed around the city, criticised at first for inaction, had issued more than 1,300 tickets and arrested 23 by Wednesday, according to part of the Ottawa police website dedicated to the demonstration. The number of protesters has dwindled to a few thousand in the Canadian capital, but police estimate more than four hundred trucks and other vehicles remained parked in the middle of roads, crisscrossing intersections, or within inches of police cruisers that delineate the Red Zone. This section of the city is home to the seat of government, museums, office buildings and prime business real estate. The truckers have effectively shut down a swathe of Ottawa’s city centre, some 1.5km (0.93 miles) long, dubbed the Red Zone by Ottawa Police, where most businesses and office buildings remain closed. Two trucks block the entrance to Rideau street, one of the main commercial streets of downtown Ottawa What started as a protest against mandatory vaccinations for truckers in order to cross the border into the United States, has grown into broader dissent against the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and what is perceived as a tightening of individual rights and freedoms, highlighting the anti-vaccination movement. On January 29, thousands of demonstrators and supporters flooded the streets and the open space in front of the Canadian Parliament Buildings. The demonstration launched in January and billed as a “Freedom Convoy” began in western Canada and descended on Ottawa, arriving on the 28th, paralysing the city centre. Children in snowsuits played with large plastic blocks in what looked like a makeshift outdoor kindergarten. Key organizers are arrested.Ottawa, Canada – The sound of blaring truck horns has been replaced by revving engines in the Canadian capital, still blockaded by truckers who appear to be settling in for the long haul.īetween and around the trucks that have halted city traffic, protesters have erected tents, barbecues, bales of hay for warmth and comfort. 18 - Police begin push into crowds of demonstrators, arrest more than 100 and haul away vehicles. ![]() 17- Police warn protesters occupying central Ottawa of "imminent" action. 15 - Trudeau invokes rarely used special emergency measures to tackle protests. 13 The Ambassador Bridge reopens after a six-day blockade as Canadian police clear protesters. Protesters defy the court order and remain. 11 - A Canadian judge orders an end to the blockade of the Ambassador Bridge and the province of Ontario declares a state of emergency. 10 - The Biden administration urges Canada to use federal powers to ease the disruption at the U.S.-Canada border. Ford Motor Co (F.N), General Motors Co (GM.N) and Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) halt some production. 8 - The blockade disrupts trade between the two countries. 7 - Protesters start blocking the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, the busiest crossing between Canada and the United States, and protesters block other border points in Alberta and Manitoba. ![]() A court grants an interim injunction preventing people from sounding horns in downtown Ottawa.įeb. 7 - Police seize thousands of liters of fuel and remove an oil tanker supplying the trucks. 6 - Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declares state of emergency. Protests spread to other cities including the financial capital Toronto. 5 - Protesters occupy downtown Ottawa for second straight weekend. 2 - Leader of Canada's main opposition Conservative Party, Erin O'Toole, is ousted after a caucus vote, partly because of his failure to embrace the anti-government protest quickly enough. 31 - Trudeau, who was moved to a secret location, says Canadians are disgusted by the behavior of some protesters in Ottawa and says he will not be intimidated. 29 - Thousands of protesters under the banner "The Freedom Convoy 2022" hold a loud but peaceful protest in downtown Ottawa. A similar requirement is in place in the United States. ![]() 28 - A convoy largely consisting of trucks starts arriving in Ottawa from across Canada opposing the vaccine mandate. The trucking industry association has warned the mandates could intensify supply-chain disruptions, but opposes protests on public roads. 19 - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government announces that all cross-border truck drivers will be subject to mandatory vaccine and quarantine requirements from Jan. Feb 19 (Reuters) - Canadian police on Saturday used pepper spray and stun grenades in an attempt to restore normalcy in Ottawa, parts of which have been paralyzed by protesters opposing the government's pandemic restrictions. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |