04 February 2022 - 'Freedom Convoy' in Canada against COVID-19 vaccine requirements
Ottawa police to get more help from RCMP to address trucker convoy protest
Christy Somos and Ben Cousins (CTV News, 03/02/2022)
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announced late Thursday that the RCMP has approved all requests from the Ottawa Police Service to address the convoy that has taken over the city’s downtown core.
In the statement, Mendicino said that convoy has “caused significant disruption” to local residents and that the people of Ottawa are “entitled to expect that the law is upheld and enforced by police and that public safety is maintained.”
“I am able to confirm that the RCMP has approved all the additional resources that were requested, and they will be ready to assist the Ottawa Police Service, who are the police of jurisdiction,” he tweeted.
Ottawans fed up with trucker blockade, blame police for inaction
Julie Gordon (Reuters, 03/02/2022)
Frustrations are boiling over in Canada's capital as a protest by truckers against COVID-19 vaccine mandates has clogged downtown Ottawa for a week and shows no sign of ending, with many residents angry at police for not breaking it up.
Dozens of trucks in the so-called "Freedom Convoy" have been blocking streets since Friday, forcing the closure of the main shopping mall in the area and local businesses, and disturbed residents with constant horn honking.
Trudeau rules out negotiating with protesters, says military deployment 'not in the cards'
Catharine Tunney (CBC, 03/02/2022)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is giving no sign he's willing to negotiate with the protesters occupying Ottawa who are demanding either an end to all vaccine mandates or a change in government.
The protest, now almost a week old, started in opposition to the federal government's vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers. It has since expanded into a movement against broader public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, including provincial vaccine mandates, masks and restrictions.
During a Thursday press conference, Tamara Lich — the woman behind the now paused GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $10 million to support the protest — insisted protesters plan to stay in the city until their demands are met.
Interim Tory Leader Candice Bergen advocated against asking protesters to leave Ottawa
Marieke Walsh (The Globe and Mail, 03/02/2022)
The Conservative Party’s newly elected interim leader, Candice Bergen, advocated in internal discussions against asking the protesters occupying Ottawa to go home, according to an e-mail obtained by The Globe and Mail.
“I don’t think we should be asking them to go home,” reads an e-mail from Ms. Bergen to then-leader Erin O’Toole’s senior caucus team on Monday.
“I understand the mood may shift soon. So we need to turn this into the PM’s problem,” the Manitoba MP added in her note.