The mayor of Ottawa has set a deadline of noon Monday for truckers camped in the center of the capital to leave residential streets in a bid to narrow the area of the protest.
Mayor Jim Watson made the proposal in a letter released Sunday as part of an out-of-court settlement to end ongoing protest over pandemic health measures.
One of the protest organizers, Tamara Lich, tweeted late Sunday night that the trucks would leave residential areas on Monday.
Justin Trudeau is expected to speak with provincial premiers about the protest that began three weekends ago outside his office in Ottawa and has since spawned similar protests resulting in the closure of several border crossings.
One such crossing, the busy Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Michigan, reopened Sunday night after Windsor police cleared and arrested protesters blocking traffic. The bridge carries hundreds of millions of dollars in cross-border trade between the United States and Canada daily, and its week-long blockade had become a major concern for the White House.
Justin Trudeau spoke Sunday night with senior federal officials and Cabinet ministers about additional steps the government can take to end blockades and protests across the country.
Frustration with the protest became palpable in the nation’s capital where residents launched counter-protests against the so-called “Freedom Convoy.”
The demonstrators denounce the vaccination obligations and other health restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of which will be lifted in some provinces.
Demonstrators have also used the demonstrations to denounce Mr. Trudeau and call for the removal of his government.
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