The police have launched a vast operation to dislodge truckers and demonstrators who have been blocking the country’s federal capital for three weeks.
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More than ten hours after the start of the operation, the Canadian police continued, Friday evening, February 18, to dislodge the last truckers and demonstrators who have blocked Ottawa for three weeks to protest against the sanitary measures. The police, deployed by the hundreds in the streets of the federal capital, announced that they had arrested more than 100 people and towed around 20 vehicles.
Despite long face-to-face encounters, no clashes broke out and there were no injuries. Most of the protest leaders have been arrested. Far-right activist Pat King was arrested early Friday afternoon as he left town. Shortly after, it was the turn of former police officer Daniel Bulford. Two other leaders of the movement, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, were arrested Thursday evening.
Blocked bank accounts
For his part, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, felt that this challenge no longer had anything “peaceful”, during a debate in the House of Commons. To add to the pressure, the finance minister also said that “individual and corporate bank accounts” linked to the blockage had been frozen.
The city of Ottawa, the province of Ontario and the whole of Canada are under a state of emergency because of this protest movement, party of the opposition of truckers to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to cross the border between Canada and the United States. The movement has spread in recent weeks to all health measures and, for many protesters, to a rejection of the government of Justin Trudeau.