The mayor of Ottawa, Canada, Jim Watson, declared a state of emergency as the situation, in his opinion, "grew out of control" after a week of protests by truckers against coronavirus restrictions. He added that the protests pose a threat to the safety of residents.
The City is advising residents that traffic and service issues will continue on Monday, February 7th. Residents are advised to avoid unnecessary travel to or around the city center.
To date, more than 60 criminal cases have been filed by Canadian police in connection with the protests, involving mischief, theft, hate crimes and property damage. 10 protesters were arrested and taken into custody.
The rally, dubbed "Freedom Convoy", was prompted last month by the introduction of a new rule requiring all truckers to be vaccinated to cross the US-Canada border, but the protests have morphed into broader protests over restrictions on freedom of movement.
The demonstrators demand that the federal and regional authorities lift all restrictions related to the pandemic. On January 29, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family left the capital's residence for security reasons. He stated that he did not intend to enter into negotiations with the "marginal minority".
Covid-19 vaccines have reduced the risk of severe illness in those infected with the virus, and serious side effects are extremely rare. Over 80% of the Canadian population is fully vaccinated, and a recent poll found that a majority of Canadians are in favor of more restrictions on the unvaccinated.
A recent poll by Abacus Data found that 68% of Canadians said they had "very little in common" with protesters, while 32% said they had "a lot in common" with truckers.
