The mayor of the Canadian capital, Ottawa, declared a state of emergency on Sunday following an ongoing trucker protest against corona restrictions that has paralyzed the city center for 10 days. The situation in the city, where hundreds of trucks block the area around the Canadian parliament, has “gone completely out of control,” he said in a statement.
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Watson took the measure because of “the grave danger and threat to the safety of residents as a result of the ongoing demonstrations,” he said. The mayor is asking for help from other municipalities and higher authorities to bring the unprecedented disorder in the capital under control. The declaration of a state of emergency comes with broader powers for authorities, but Watson did not provide details on what measures he plans to take to end the blockade.
Hundreds of trucks have been stationed in central Ottawa since last weekend, arriving after a high-profile national convoy of truckers protesting a vaccination requirement for drivers crossing the border into the United States. The move, dubbed the “Freedom Convoy 2022,” has attracted support from Canadians fed up with the pandemic and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government. This weekend, thousands of protesters again came to the capital to support the drivers. It is unclear how and when the promotion will end.
Barbecues on the street
The honking truckers block streets in the vicinity of parliament and say they will not leave until their demands are met: the abolition of all corona restrictions in the country – which are largely under the authority of the Canadian provinces – and Trudeau’s resignation. The truckers sleep in their vehicles, and there are bonfires and barbecues in the street. Food is delivered, and fuel is distributed with jerry cans, so that the trucks can idle in the winter cold with temperatures between -10 and -20 degrees Celsius. Firecrackers are also set off.
According to the protesters, the chaotic situation is a peaceful demonstration. However, residents of Ottawa complain of ongoing noise, harassment and fire hazards. They are furious at the reticent attitude of the police, which they say are doing far too little to end the blockade.
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On Sunday evening, police seized vehicles and fuel from a supply center that the protesters have set up on the outskirts of the city. Two arrests were made as a result. The police have announced that they want to cut off the supply of fuel to the trucks. Five people were arrested in the center. Also this weekend, a wider circle of barricades was formed to stop new trucks. Sixty criminal investigations are ongoing on hate crime, property damage, vandalism and threats charges.
The Trudeau government refuses to comply with the demands of the demonstrators, who are portrayed by the prime minister as extremists. Although the action has received support from part of the population, the government seems to assume that a majority of Canadians support the corona policy.