Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Canadian police arrest 70 protesters from Ottawa trucker convoy

Canadian police arrest 70 protesters from Ottawa trucker convoy

At least 21 vehicles towed as police bid to break up protest camp that has paralysed Canada’s capital for several weeks

Police in Ottawa have begun arresting protesters and towing away vehicles in an effort to break up the so-called “freedom convoy” that has paralysed Canada’s capital for weeks and prompted the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, to declare a national emergency

Seventy people were arrested and at least 21 vehicles towed away, as police exercised emergency powers which Trudeau invoked on Monday.

Truck horns blared as hundreds of police, some carrying rifles, others with riot shields and gas masks, moved in on a protest camp near Parliament Hill on Friday morning. Scuffles broke out when officers detained a number of demonstrators, leading some away in handcuffs.

A police drone hovered overhead as more officers on horseback and at least three armoured vehicles arrived at the scene.

Officers in grey fatigues climbed atop two semi trucks as they took the first of two main camps close to parliament. Warnings blared from police loudspeakers: “You must leave! You will be arrested!”

Police commanders had made it clear on Thursday they were preparing to end the siege and remove more than 300 trucks, camper vans and other vehicles that have blockaded the city since late January.

The city’s interim police chief Steve Bell warned that “action is imminent,” and two prominent protest leaders were arrested on Thursday night. Chris Barber and Tamara Lich will face charges of mischief and counselling to commit mischief.

Pat King, an influential convoy leader, was arrested during a Facebook Live stream on Friday. BJ Dichter, another prominent figure in the movement, told supporters it was “time to leave” and pleaded for Ottawa police to let drivers remove their vehicles.

For the first time since the protests began, police vastly outnumbered the demonstrators, allowing officers to take control of sections of the protest camps. The heavily increased presence allowed them to use greater force, including smashing the windows of vehicles and dragging out drivers.

Some protesters linked arms and refused to move as the police line pushed forward; some sang the national anthem O Canada! and called for non-violence while others struggled and shouted insults at the officers.

“You’re the ones who are evil,” shouted one woman.

Police officers push back protesters.


But the police move was welcomed by some local residents who have complained of harassment and intimidation, and obtained a court order to stop the truckers’ incessant horn honking.

“I live down here, and I haven’t been able to get to anything, including my pharmacy, for three fucking weeks!” one passerby shouted at the protesters. “And now you’re going to go home, thankfully. Because you lost!”

Several children were present during the scuffles at the protest camp, despite warnings from police that parents in the convoy should find alternative care in the event they faced arrest.

“The pictures of these irresponsible parents putting their children on the front lines of the police action is beyond description,” tweeted Cindy Blackstock, head of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. “So sad for these children and I hope they have a loving caregiver to look after them b/c there are serious questions about the judgement of the parent.”

As police pushed from the south of one camp, protesters scrambled for snow shovels and began creating makeshift barriers.

“A beautiful day to see the snow cleared!” shouted one.

Police said they set up a “red zone’ in the city’s downtown core on Thursday evening with 100 checkpoints throughout the area as a way to prevent protesters from entering – a move meant to also prevent large crowds coming to the city over the weekend. They also blocked key highway exits into the city.

Canada’s House of Commons canceled its work on Friday, with the speaker, Anthony Rota, warning lawmakers to “stay away from the downtown core until further notice” because of an expected police operation.


With temperatures with windchill hovering around -23C (-9.4F), protesters had started their day digging out their vehicles from a heavy overnight snowfall. A bitter wind blew through the protest camps as dozens of protesters huddled round fires and watched warily as the police numbers grew.

Some protesters at the main blockade were defiant, convinced that officers would not move against the encampment.

“I took a look those cops and they look cold. They don’t want to be here,” said Zack, an Ottawa resident carrying a flag that read “We Ain’t Leaving”.

One protester, dressed in a high-visibility jacket, shouted “Freedom!” as he pulled a trolley with 12 canisters of diesel past a group of Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers towards the blockade.

Some protesters promised to resist the coming crackdown, encouraging others to lock themselves inside their vehicles. “They’ll need the jaws of life if they want to get me out,” said one.

The scene in Ottawa on Friday.


Ottawa police issued a stark warning on Twitter: “DEMONSTRATORS: You must leave. You must cease further unlawful activity and immediately remove your vehicle and/or property from all unlawful protest sites. Anyone within the unlawful protest site may be arrested.”

As the day progressed, more and more trucks gradually left the blockade. Large tow trucks also arrived near the camps as police arrested drivers and took control of vehicles.

The towing industry has long resisted calls to move the trucks, fearing their companies risked being targeted by convoy supporters. Many of the tow drivers in Ottawa on Friday wore masks or balaclavas and the decals of their company trucks were covered.

On Monday, Trudeau became the first prime minister to invoke the Emergencies Act, granting his government sweeping powers to bar gatherings in certain locations, tow away vehicles, suspend driving licenses and freeze bank accounts.

The encampment in the capital represented the movement’s last stronghold after three weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down several border crossings into the US and triggered a political crisis.

The demonstrations initially focused on a vaccine requirement for truckers entering Canada, but some protesters’ demands escalated to the repeal of all Covid health measures, and even the toppling of the Trudeau government.

Police begin to remove the protest trucks from the area.


Fringe elements, including far-right activists, nationalist groups and conspiracy theorists, have played a central role in the protests from the start, and officials had expressed concern about the potential for violence.

Officers had hesitated to move against the protesters, partly due to fears that some were armed. But the occupation was stoking growing tensions with local residents who complained of harassment and intimidation, and obtained a court order to stop the truckers’ incessant horn honking.

The protesters represent a small minority in Canada. The country has one of the highest rates of full vaccination anywhere in the world, with more than 80% of people covered.

The protests also have inspired similar convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×