Canadian police proceeded last Thursday night in the first arrests of organizers of the movement against sanitary measures have been blocking roads in Ottawa for three weeks, a mobilization that has nothing “peaceful”, according to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trindade.
“If you want to leave voluntarily, now is the time to do so,” Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell told protesters yesterday afternoon. He also warned that this weekend will be “very different from the previous three”.
In the evening, the police made the first arrests. Among those arrested was Tamara Leach, one of the organizers of the “freedom convoy”. In the images released by the police, Leach is seen handcuffed inside a patrol car, shouting at her comrades “Hold on”.
Chris Barber, another of the organizers, had been arrested shortly before, with his arrest also videotaped and posted on social media by members of the movement.
For the first time since the start of police teams, massively developed yesterday on the streets of Other towards protesters and hundreds of trucks that continue to close the streets.
“We are ready to act to drive the illegal protesters out of our streets,” Bell said, referring to an “imminent” operation. “We are absolutely determined to put an end to this illegal demonstration. We have the plan, we have the commitment, we have the resources “, he added.
Police have already set up a perimeter in downtown Ottawa with 100 checkpoints and are stopping people who have no legal reason to enter.
Frozen bank accounts
A few meters further, Trinto estimated yesterday morning that this mobilization had nothing “peaceful” in his speech in parliament focusing on the implementation of the law on emergency measures, which enters into force in the country for the second time after World War II.
“The purpose of all the measures, including the financial measures provided for in the Emergency Measures Act, is to address this threat and bring the situation under full control,” he said.
“Blockades and squatting pose a threat to our economy and our relations with our trading partners,” he said.
In a letter to the provincial prime ministers on Wednesday night, Trinto described the movement as “threatening democracy” and undermining “Canada’s reputation abroad”.
“Individuals and businesses’s bank accounts linked to the blockades have been frozen,” Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Christia Freeland told a news conference.
Describing the situation as “dangerous”, Public Order Minister Marco Medicino estimated that “illegal border crossings” cost the Canadian economy billions of dollars.
The demonstrators, who say they are ready to stay in the blocks “until the end”, received an ultimatum on Wednesday from the security forces, who distributed a leaflet asking them to leave.
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