Ottawa: At least 100 people were arrested on Friday as police began work to clear hundreds of truck drivers who protested on the streets of Canada’s capital Ottawa and blocked traffic. Ottawa Police Interim Chief Steve Bell said at least 100 people have been arrested so far for rioting and about two dozen vehicles have been towed. A police officer sustained minor injuries in the clash between the police and the protesters.
After pressure from the police and administration, the protesters started removing vehicles and trucks. Steve Bell said the police would continue to move to control the road. “We will work day and night till it is completed,” he said.
Four leaders leading the protesters were also among those arrested. One got bail while the others are in jail. The government has imposed a state of emergency here to end the protest. Under this, the police is trying to send the protesters back. When the police started the operation on Friday morning, some protesters protested.
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After this, security forces armed with automatic weapons marched towards the protest site and threw some protesters to the ground and tied their hands behind. In fact, large-scale protests are taking place in Canada these days against COVID-19 vaccination and global pandemic restrictions. Protesters led by truck drivers have blocked trucks in the Canadian capital Ottawa and blocked the route from Canada to the US in several places.
A large number of policemen arrived in the Parliament Hill area of Ottawa and laid barbed wire around government buildings and laid siege to them. Police have started sealing off most areas of the city for outsiders to prevent them from coming to the aid of the protesters. Video footage shows hundreds of police officers present at the protest site.
Some protesters have formed a chain close to the police officers. Everyone is holding each other’s hands and singing the national anthem of Canada. Police allege that the protesters are using children as shields. A protester from the AP named Kevin Holmond said, “Freedom is never free. What if they handcuffed us and put us in jail too?” (agency)