Ottawa declares state of emergency over protests

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson made the declaration on Sunday to ramp up the government’s response to the Freedom Convoy of semitrucks and other vehicles that arrived 10 days ago in Ottawa, Ontario. Watson said the move would give the city support from other jurisdictions and levels of government. Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the government would not meet the protesters’ demands of repealing vaccine requirements for truckers and ending pandemic mandates.

What happened over the weekend? Thousands of people arrived again in Ottawa, joining others who remained all week. Organizers on Sunday said the convoy would stop blaring horns for four hours as a gesture of goodwill. Ottawa police relocated some protesters and set up new barricades on Sunday as they collected vehicle registration and other evidence for criminal prosecutions. Police also said they have written 450 traffic tickets, and they threatened to arrest anyone who brought gasoline or other “material supports” to protesters. GoFundMe said it would refund donations to donors after shutting down the Freedom Convoy’s fundraiser page, which had raised about $10 million Canadian dollars, for violating its terms of service.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson’s report on another law in Canada that threatens religious liberty.