(Photo : Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Truckers Protest Vaccine Mandates In Cities Across Canada
OTTAWA, ON - FEBRUARY 05: A "Where's Trudeau" sign is seen near Parliament Hill on February 5, 2022 in Ottawa, Canada. Truckers continue their rally over the weekend near Parliament Hill in hopes of pressuring the government to roll back COVID-19 public health regulations and mandates. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
As the siege in the heart of Canada's capital city entered its 11th day, officials in Ottawa begged for more police reinforcements.
Mayor Jim Watson wrote letters to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Monday, requesting 1,800 police officers to help quell the insurgency that the Ottawa Police Service is unable to contain. Watson had declared a state of emergency on Sunday, saying the situation is completely out of control.
Ottawa Declares State of Emergency
According to Politico, the demands were made in response to inquiries about whether Ottawa had been allowed to cope with the problem on its own for the most part. As the large rigs of the "Freedom Convoy" dug in on the streets around Parliament Hill, Trudeau, who tested positive for COVID-19 approximately a week ago, has received criticism for being out of the public spotlight in recent days.
He hasn't made any public comments about the campaign since Thursday although it is raising a lot of money from American donors. It has been praised by former President Donald Trump and has attracted similarities to Jan. 6.
The prime minister reappeared in the House of Commons on Monday evening amid a debate regarding the convoys. Trudeau said that his administration has always backed Ottawa in dealing with the protesters. He vowed that it would offer whatever resources the city needed.
According to police, more than 100 "Provincial Offense Notices" were given for infractions, such as loud honking, driving the wrong way, malfunctioning mufflers, no seat belts, having alcohol readily available, and having the wrong type of driving license. So far, 60 criminal investigations have been started in connection with the event, with the most common charges being mischief, theft, hate crimes, and property destruction. Confederation Park has been cleaned and gated in its entirety.
Truckers, Protesters Paralyze Ottawa, Canada
Per Fox News, a hundred Ontario Provincial Police officers have been assigned to the Ottawa Police Service to help with demonstrations. Declaring a state of emergency underscores the substantial danger and threat to citizens' safety and security presented by the continuous demonstrations, Watson said in a statement Sunday.
Canada's public safety minister said Monday that the United States should stay out of his country's internal affairs, joining other Canadian leaders in criticizing prominent Republicans who have expressed support for the COVID-19 mandate protests that have engulfed downtown Ottawa for more than a week.
The mayor requested almost 2,000 additional police officers a day after the city declared a state of emergency to help suppress the rowdy nightly protests organized by the so-called Freedom Truck Convoy, which has paralyzed the Canadian capital's commercial area with hundreds of parked trucks.
The protests have also enraged residents in the downtown area, particularly those living near Parliament Hill, the federal government's seat of power. Embattled Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly described the protest as an "extraordinary protest [has never been] witnessed in Canada" and admitted that officials had not anticipated it lasting longer than three days, as per The Independent via MSN.
Related Article: Canada Anti-Vaccine Protest Consisting of Truckers in Protest Has Caused Chaos in Ottawa, and the Police Reported
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