The authoritarian regime in Canada is starting to crackdown on the freedom convoy.
Police detained two protest organizers and attempted to disband the almost three-week-old demonstration against the nation’s COVID-19 limits on Thursday; however, hundreds of truckers blocking Canada’s capital kept their ground and didn’t budge.
The arrival of busloads of police officers near Ottawa’s Parliament Buildings and the construction of additional barricades surrounding federal buildings took place.
Additionally, police have virtually closed off parts of the city to visitors in order to avoid them from rushing to the help of the demonstrators.
BREAKING— #FreedomConvoy organizer Tamara Lich has been arrested by @OttawaPolice pic.twitter.com/cK9CadOPaR
— Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) February 18, 2022
In the words of temporary Ottawa Chief of Police Steve Bell, “activity is on the horizon. We are completely dedicated to putting a stop to this illegal protest.”
Police detained two coordinators in the area of Parliament Buildings, but they did not deploy a large number of cops to confront the marchers.
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According to Bell, officers continued to negotiate with the demonstrators and attempted to encourage them to return home.
“We would like this protest to come to a calm conclusion,” he stated, but he added if the demonstrators did not leave quietly, “we have preparations.”
BREAKING: Trudeau is now having the organizers of the Freedom Convoy arrested on sight in a targeted crackdown
— Truckasaurus Poso 🚛🦖 (@JackPosobiec) February 17, 2022
Some truckers seemed undaunted, despite warnings from the government and police that they were putting themselves and their rigs in danger of arrest and their bank accounts may be blocked.
One of their organizers, Pat King, said there are “no tow vehicles in Canada which will approach” those trucks that are parked nose to nose on the highway.
Truckers near Congress rang their air-horns in violation of a court order prohibiting honking, which had been imposed for the sake of nearby residents. The incident occurred, amid escalating tensions.
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After weeks of rallies and blockades, which resulted in the closure of border crossings into the United States, economic devastation to both nations, and a political turmoil for Trudeau, Ottawa was the movement’s final bastion.
In addition to damaging Canada’s image for politeness and rule-adherence, the demonstrations have inspired identical convoys in several European countries.
PM Justin Trudeau proclaimed, “It is past time for these unlawful and hazardous acts to cease.” Trudeau was speaking about the supposedly illegal and dangerous protests.
According to him, “They pose a danger to our economy, as well as our relationships with trade partners. They pose a danger to the general public’s safety.”
The temporary chief of police said Ottawa police have begun shutting off a large portion of the downtown region, allowing only residents to enter. The police were particularly concerned about the youngsters who were among the protestors.
Deputy Chief Bell said officers were collaborating with child welfare organizations to figure out how to securely remove the children before officials arrived.
