Canadian police clash with protestors to clear capital
More arrests were made in Ottawa on Saturday as police moved quickly to disperse demonstrators in front of parliament and the prime minister’s office.
The police used pepper spray and stun grenades in a final push to clear the capital of trucks and protestors who have occupied the Downton core of Ottawa for more than three weeks to protest pandemic restrictions.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTOR: “They have overstepped their boundaries. They have used us, they have manipulated. They have controlled us. But we are all awake now. We see what's happening.”
Police made more than 100 arrests on Friday after clearing a portion of the blockade.
Interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell:
“They have been charged with assault with multiple various offenses, including mischief. Work is underway by the city of Ottawa to remediate and clean up the area that we have gained back today."
Protest organizers for the so-called Freedom Convoy said they had asked trucks to withdraw because of heavy-handed police tactics, and many trucks did exit the downtown core on Saturday.
Thirty-eight vehicles have been towed, police said.
The protest organizers said protesters had been "horse-trampled" on Friday, which police deny.
The protesters initially wanted an end to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers, but the blockade has gradually turned into a demonstration against the government and against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
