Truck drivers who have been blockading downtown Ottawa for six days on Wednesday said they had no intention of leaving the Canadian capital until the government scrapped COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Despite increasing complaints from residents about noise, pollution and aggressive behavior from some truckers, Ottawa police have declined to end the protest, citing the risk of aggravating tensions.
The demonstration began as a move to force the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to drop a vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers. It has since turned into a more populist anti-Trudeau movement.
“We understand your frustration … but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians,” protest leader Chris Barber said in a statement to Ottawa residents.
“We are here and we are not going anywhere until we achieve our objective, to see an end of all COVID-19 mandates and with that a restoration of freedoms of all Canadians,” he said.
Trudeau on Monday said Canadians were disgusted by the behavior of some protesters https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/police-say-ottawa-truck-protest-dwindle-demonstrators-remain-stubborn-2022-01-31 and vowed not to be intimidated.
The inaction of the police in Ottawa – some of whom have posed for selfies with demonstrators – contrasts with more robust action by authorities in the western province of Alberta.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Tuesday moved in on truckers blockading the U.S. border at the town of Coutts but pulled back after clashes with some drivers.
As well as paralyzing Ottawa, the protests are also threatening the future of the official opposition Conservative Party, the Liberals’ main rival.
Party leader Erin O’Toole faces a confidence vote on Wednesday from legislators unhappy that he did not support the protests more enthusiastically at first. He is also under pressure for leading the party to defeat in last September’s federal election.
(This story adds dropped word in headline)
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Mark Porter)
TORONTO – Ontario is pushing through several bills with little or no debate, which the government house leader says is due to a short legislative sitting.
The government has significantly reduced debate and committee time on the proposed law that would force municipalities to seek permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a car lane.
It also passed the fall economic statement that contains legislation to send out $200 cheques to taxpayers with reduced debating time.
The province tabled a bill Wednesday afternoon that would extend the per-vote subsidy program, which funnels money to political parties, until 2027.
That bill passed third reading Thursday morning with no debate and is awaiting royal assent.
Government House Leader Steve Clark did not answer a question about whether the province is speeding up passage of the bills in order to have an election in the spring, which Premier Doug Ford has not ruled out.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
