Thousands of truckers and demonstrators went to Ottawa on Saturday to denounce not only the imposition of the vaccine passport at the border, but also all the health measures still in force two years after the start of the pandemic.
• Read also: Who are the Quebecers in the convoy for freedom?
Various convoys of truckers from across the country have taken to the road in the past few days to demand the lifting of the mandatory vaccination passport at the border.
The Alexandra and Macdonald-Cartier bridges between Gatineau and Ottawa were closed Friday evening in anticipation of the protest by truckers in the capital. This did not prevent their arrival by the hundreds the day before in the metropolis and its surroundings. A first convoy of trucks from Kingston, Ont., blocked much of the street along Parliament Hill on Friday night.
According to information gathered by Félix Séguin from TVA Nouvelles, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family have left their home as a security measure.
Saturday morning, from 9 a.m., demonstrators gathered in front of the Parliament of Ottawa denounced the sanitary measures and chanted “Freedom, freedom (freedom, freedom)”.
Two hours later, the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau (SPVG) announced the closure of the Alexandra and Portage bridges. “The three bridges, however, remain open to pedestrians,” said the SPVG.
The greater Ottawa region was experiencing major traffic problems on Saturday morning as several bridges and roads were closed.
In a statement, the Ottawa Police Service asks citizens to avoid going downtown due to the protests raging on Parliament Hill. “The police are working to maintain an emergency perimeter for public safety,” said the Ottawa Police Service, which adds that it is assisted by police officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Toronto , Durham, London, York and the Ontario Provincial Police.
The images from the TVA Nouvelles helicopter show the importance of the gathering, a real human tide seeming to have taken the capital.
Police forces estimate that up to 10,000 people could show up in the city.
Since January 15, truckers must present proof of vaccination upon entering the country upon their return from the United States under the obligation to quarantine for two weeks at home. However, Health Canada and the Canadian Trucking Association estimate that the rate of unvaccinated truckers in the country is around 10%.
The demonstration of truckers opposed to the vaccine passport at the border has turned into a great collective outlet against health and anti-system measures and thousands of citizens have joined the protest movement.
You will find here, throughout the day, all the news on this gathering in which Canadians from across the country are taking part.
2:18 p.m. | Convoy for freedom: a parking lot on a monument sparks outrage
The heavy presence of trucks and cars during the “Convoy for Freedom”, present since Friday evening in Ottawa, resulted in the parking of vehicles on the National War Memorial, which sparked outrage.
- Around 1:30 p.m., the crowd continued to grow. What will be the next steps? Some say they are ready to stay in Ottawa until the Trudeau government withdraws the sanitary measures in place.
- 11:43 am | A traffic jam 90 km from the federal capital slows the ardor of demonstrators who hope to make it to Ottawa.
- 9:30 am | Demonstrators are already gathered in front of the Parliament of Ottawa to denounce the sanitary measures and chant “Freedom, freedom (freedom, freedom)”.
- 7:00 a.m. | Truckers from all over Quebec hit the road to get to Ottawa.
In Trois-Rivières, in particular, several dozen people gathered on an overpass overlooking Highway 40 to show their support for truckers.
