At the beginning of the evening (Dutch time) the first trucks from the so-called Freedom Convoy arrived in the Canadian capital Ottawa. The truckers are in town to demonstrate against the Canadian government’s corona policy.
According to Canadian public broadcaster CBC, Prime Minister Trudeau and his family have left their home in the city center for security reasons, but a government spokesman would not confirm. The prime minister is in quarantine because one of his children has tested positive for the corona virus.
Police are concerned about the scale of the protest and the possibility of violence breaking out. Security Minister Marco Mendicino told CBC that some protesters displayed “blatant extremism”, including calls for the overthrow of the government. At the same time, some organizers on social media are calling on protesters not to use violence.
Trudeau said this week the convoy is a protest by “a fringe minority” who are not representative of Canadians’ thinking.
‘Been obedient’
The Freedom Convoy left Vancouver, in the west of the country, six days ago. About 2700 truck drivers are part of the convoy. Along the way, others, including non-truckers, joined. People have also come from other parts of Canada to Ottawa – where it is currently about 20 degrees below zero.
For the time being, demonstrators are gathering peacefully on a field near the parliament building. Many participants carry the Canadian flag, the truckers honk. The demonstrators are no longer only concerned with the vaccination obligation for truck drivers crossing the border into the United States. The protest now revolves around the corona rules in general and the dissatisfaction with the Trudeau government.
View images of the protest here:
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