NEW DELHI: A confrontation between protesters and the police loomed in Ottawa on Thursday, The New York Times reported. Ontario’s police force gathered outside Ottawa’s city center in an apparent preparation to end the trucker protests that have stalled traffic there for the past few weeks.
The police have distributed written notices to the protesters, warning them to leave the area or face penalties. Crews of workers put up wire fencing around the Parliament building downtown.
Inside the building, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on the protesters to go home. “It is high time that these illegal and dangerous activities stop, including here in Ottawa,” he said.
Many protesters vowed to stay put. One protester said their instructions were to remain in their trucks, lock the doors and not open them for anyone, including the police.
Background: The protests began weeks ago with a group of truckers who objected to a requirement that they be vaccinated against the coronavirus to cross the U.S.-Canada border. With help from right-wing activists, the protests ballooned into a broader movement opposed to pandemic measures and Trudeau in general.
###
