Despite pressure from the Canadian government, protesters on Thursday maintained the three-week blockade in the capital Ottawa, while authorities warned of the presence of extremists among those who want to overthrow the government.
The police distributed pamphlets on Wednesday (16) to truck drivers and others who joined the strike in the city center saying they should leave or they would be arrested, but the initiative did not generate large movements in the approximately 400 vehicles.
For Andrew Broe, a truck driver in Ontario, the warning is “an incentive.” “They are making fun of trying to remove a peaceful protest,” he told The New York Times.
Although noisy, the Ottawa protest has not been violent. “I am not afraid,” a protester in Ottawa, who declined to be named, told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday. “We are here peacefully and we will remain peacefully. Even if they try to arrest us, we will be arrested peacefully.”
Organizers of the rally on Wednesday urged more protesters to come to Ottawa to help thwart police efforts, although they warned that anyone joining the demonstration in the capital would be breaking the law.
Already on Thursday, Pat King, one of the leaders, posted a video on Twitter warning the police to retreat. “Get away. Give it up. Put your badge on the floor… and join the people,” he stated. “When this is over, just following the rules is not going to be a good legal defense.”
In a statement, Ottawa Police Acting Chief Steve Bell raised the tone and assured that the entire downtown area and any occupied space will be retaken. He further added that actions will be taken in the coming days and that it will take time to get it right.
Protesters protest against mandatory vaccines and restrictions imposed to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, but there are also those who have made clear their opposition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and some want him out of government.
Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino warned that some of the protesters “have a strong connection with a far-right organization that has leaders in Ottawa”, referring to the arrest of 13 people in Alberta earlier this week linked to the blockade. from a point on the border with Montana, USA, which has since been released.
According to police, the group belonged to a small cell in the province that planned to use violence if agents tried to demobilize the act. Various weaponry, including 13 long-barreled guns, revolvers, a machete, several sets of armor, and a large amount of ammunition and magazines were discovered in trailers in Alberta.
Four members of the group, whose members were between the ages of 18 and 62, were charged with conspiracy to kill officers, and most others with possession of weapons.
Under pressure, Trudeau declared a national emergency on Monday, allowing the government to use force to try to stop the acts. The prime minister also invoked an Emergencies Law that, according to Justice Minister David Lametti, will be presented at the House of Commons this Thursday.
The left-wing New Democrats party said it would support liberal minority government, ensuring the legislation would pass.
Despite the harsh tone of the government, which also announced the blocking of bank accounts of those who participated in the acts, it has been criticized for being ineffective and slow to contain the protests, which led to the resignation of Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly, this week.
As the stalemate continues between the government and protesters in the capital — the movement appears to be losing steam in other parts of the country — Canadians’ patience is waning by the day. In an opinion poll released this week by the Agnus Reid Institute, 72% of respondents believe the time has come to end the protests.
“If the Freedom Train’s purpose was to capture the attention of millions of people in Canada and around the globe – mission accomplished,” reads the institute’s publication. “If, however, the objective was to rally support for their demands to end restrictions linked to the pandemic – it backfired.”
Faced with the negative repercussion, many truckers have tried to move away from the so-called Freedom Train, according to the Washington Post, which they see as radical and say they have harmed rather than helped the industry.
Canadian truck drivers associations and authorities point out that only a small part joined the acts and that most are vaccinated.
