It’s the commotion in Ottawa, where truckers have continued to resist for two weeks now, when the “freedom convoys” are gaining momentum at certain border crossings.
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Federal MPs were unanimous Thursday night in demanding an end to recess and blockades that hamper the freedom of citizens and harm the Canadian economy.
The persistence of the blocking of the Ambassador Bridge, one of the main entry points from the United States to Canada, even made Washington react, which asked Ottawa to act quickly to put an end to the border blockages.
The Minister of Public Security, Marco Mendicino, discussed the subject with his American counterpart, discussions which are expected to continue on Friday.
On the ground, the demonstrations are not running out of steam and truckers are still demanding an end to health restrictions, even in Alberta where most of the measures have been lifted.
Photo QMI Agency, Joël Lemay
The siege of the Coutts border crossing is still maintained, while some are still resisting in Ottawa, despite threats from the police.
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In Manitoba, protesters maintain the partial blockade of the Emerson border crossing, prompting the provincial justice minister to urge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “calm things down”.
“The situation at the border must be resolved by the federal government, since it is their responsibility,” argued Kelvin Goertzen, quoted by Global News.
“The arguments of the protesters have been heard and we must move forward now,” he added.
As for the City of Ottawa, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) will carry out, as a preventive measure, lane closures on the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, which connects Gatineau to the federal capital. Thus, only two lanes in each direction will be open to traffic, from Friday evening to Monday morning.
Photo QMI Agency, Joël Lemay
“PSPC is monitoring the situation closely and may implement additional unplanned lane closures on the bridge as needed,” a statement said.
Truckers have also started to make their presence felt in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where an increase in traffic was already seen Friday morning.
“We are now seeing increased traffic in the city for a planned protest. We expect this to happen throughout the day,” Fredericton Police said on their Twitter account.
Officials said traffic slowdowns and delays are to be expected at city entrances, while Queen Street, where the Legislative Assembly is located, has been closed.
“We are taking steps to limit the impact on our roads, residents and businesses. All scheduled deliveries to businesses will be permitted with a valid manifest,” police added.
Facebook deletes an organizer’s page
One of the main organizers of Ottawa’s “freedom convoy” had his Facebook page taken down in the last few hours.
Patrick King, an activist associated with the far right, confirmed the news this morning on his Instagram account, which is still accessible even though Instagram is owned by Facebook:
Mr. King had used his Facebook page to give directions to protesters, including organizing the disruption at Ottawa airport yesterday. His live streams were followed by tens of thousands of people.