Canadian police arrest 100 'freedom convoy' protesters
3 Min Read
The police have also started towing vehicles away.
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A protester sings the national anthem as they are taken into custody by police officers in Ottawa. Photograph: Justin Tang/AP
After Canadian police face criticism for their 'leniency' on the "freedom convoy" protestors - truckers who have been protesting against the COVID-19 mandates for three weeks, sleeping in their vehicles and blocking trade routes between the US and Canada - Ottawa woke up to the news that the police have arrested over 100 protestors.
Police have also started towing vehicles away - reportedly 21 of them - and civilians were arrested mostly on charges of mischief.
Steve Bell, a Canadian police chief who had promised yesterday that the police plans to break up the protests "very soon," commented today that officers “continue to push forward to take control of our streets," and that “We will work day and night until this is completed.”
Read more : Canada's Trudeau vows to end 'freedom convoy' protest
The convoys sounded loud, simultaneous truck horns as police charged in, some holding rifles, on a protest camp on the Parliament Hill where the police recently erected metal fences.
Police climbed on top of some trucks and warned “You must leave! You will be arrested!”
Canadian protesters ignore warnings of police crackdown
In the most recent reports, truckers that have been blockading Ottawa for three weeks have reportedly defied Canadian police, ignoring governmental warnings that they could face fines and perhaps arrest.
On Thursday, Canadian officers threatened to crackdown on the protests as buses loaded with police reinforcements made their way to Ottawa. Canadian police set up metal fences outside the senate and parliament.
Policemen have been preparing for multiple scenarios after protestors were ignoring formal warnings. One deputy police chief, Steve Bell, said: “We want people to peacefully leave... But I can tell you that if they do not peacefully leave, we have plans, strategies and tactics to be able to get them to leave.”
Bell declared intentions to break up the protests in the coming days.
Read more: How American funding for Canada protests could sway US politics
Despite laws prohibiting the transfer of fuel in Canada, protestors brought wagons of fuel to their protesting site to keep heaters and truck engines functioning.
The convoys have blocked key trade routes and corridors between the US and Canada over the past few weeks, costing hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. The protests, which have been reduced to an Ottawan stronghold, have inspired similar protests in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
The blockades have also affected auto production for Toyota and Ford, disrupting the regional automobile industry, which was standing to lose $50 million if the situation remained as is.
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest bridge between Canada and the United States and is a vital link for the auto industry.
