Truckers occupying downtown Ottawa have made their voices heard and must now go home, says Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.
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“The protests have been extremely disruptive and continue to affect the safety and well-being of residents. People can demonstrate against government policies, but they are no longer welcome. It is time for them to return home,” he called, urging protesters who want to continue to be heard to do so with their provincial government.
The latter seemed overwhelmed by the duration of the demonstrations, as well as by the disgraceful gestures and the troubles posed by some.
“It’s not pleasant to have a diesel vehicle that honks for hours in a residential area. […] You said what you had to say, you had your platform and a lot of media attention. […] You had your moment, your 15 minutes. It’s time to move on and give the city back to its citizens,” said Jim Watson.
“We had to close businesses, daycare centres, in addition to managing aggressive behavior in our hotels, our restaurants and at the Shepherds of Hope. […] As the capital of Canada, we are used to protests, but it is time for this one to end.”
Towards a return to normal
Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly assured his side that his team is doing “everything in its power” to put an end to the demonstrations, while defending the approach based on mediation favored by the police force.
“There have been no injuries, deaths or riots in the capital over the past four days, although we have a gathering of thousands of people,” he said.
In addition, the amplitude of the demonstrations has greatly decreased, so much so that the Ottawa police officers called in for reinforcement in the vicinity of Parliament Hill will return to their respective neighborhoods on Tuesday, announced Chief Sloly.
The latter added that a special line will be set up by the police to allow citizens to report hate crimes committed during the weekend. These actions will be investigated across Canada, he said.