The Ottawa Police have dispersed this Saturday the protests in the vicinity of the Parliament of Canada after three weeks of occupation by the protesters of the so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’which are against the restrictions imposed by Covid-19.
After reclaiming areas around the Canadian Senate building and the Chateau Laurier hotel on Friday, the Police have begun to march towards Parliament on Saturday morningclearing the ‘National War Memorial’ of protesters and pushing people out of the central ‘Wellington Street’, as reported by ‘National Post’.
According to the latest police report from the Canadian capital, 170 people have been arrested and 53 vehicles have been towed since the start of the operation on Fridayas explained by ‘La Presse’.
Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell explained that this Saturday “Very important progress” has been made, although the operation “is not over” yet.
Bell has explained that the demonstrators were moving from the parliamentary compound to the surrounding neighborhoods, and that Police are working to remove them “peacefully.”
Asked when the protests will end, the Ottawa Police spokesman explained that “this is a complex operation”, so they do not commit to any final time, although he has urged protesters to go home because “the occupation is over.”
In addition, the Government of Canada has announced €138 million (Canadian $200 million) worth of aid for Ottawa businesses affected by the protests and for the losses suffered due to blockades and “illegal occupations”.
The Executive is boosting efforts to avoid more blockades in the country, including at the Pacific Highway border crossing in British Columbia and in Prescott, Ontario. “The goal is to safely end these illegal blockades and occupations and restore order as soon as possible.” to ensure the safety of Canadians and an end to economic disruption,” the Canadian government said in a statement.