We provide Instant breaking news alerts and information about the day's most talked-about stories around Nigeria, Africa and the world trending news.
By Derrick Bangura.
Hundreds of truck drivers from Ottawa are set to be dismissed on Friday after staging a three-week protest against pandemic restrictions that have crippled the capital and caused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to declare an emergency for the first time in more than 50 years.
Since their arrival on Jan. 28, the drivers have converted the streets around Parliament into a noisy party zone, joined by thousands of demonstrators and 400 vehicles, in what has become one of Trudeau’s worst problems since taking power in 2015.
After authorities suggested action was coming, police made a handful of arrests Thursday evening, including Chris Barber, one of the major fundraisers and organizers. Barber surrendered without a fight after police informed him that he was being arrested for criminal mischief.
“We absolutely are committed to end this unlawful demonstration. We have the plan, we have the commitment, we have the resources,” interim police chief Steve Bell told reporters on Thursday. Police will set up a perimeter with 100 checkpoints around downtown to stop people without legitimate reason from entering, he said.
Related Posts
“This weekend will look very different than the past three weekends,” he added. Previous chief Peter Sloly quit this week amid residents’ fury about what they saw as police inaction.
The truckers’ protests started against vaccine mandates for cross-border drivers, a measure in place in the United States, too. But slowly it spread across Canada and morphed into an anti-government movement. Protesters blocked several land crossings with the United States, including the busiest, the Ambassador Bridge which connects to Detroit, for six days, hurting both economies.
Calling the blockades a threat to democracy, Trudeau invoked emergency measures on Monday giving his government temporary powers to end the unrest. Government officials said they were worried about extremists causing violence.
Many protesters on Parliament Hill said they would not leave until their demands were met.
On Thursday, Chris Dacey remarked, “End the mandates, give us our rights, and this is finished.” “We’ll all return to our respective families.”
The border blockades put pressure on Trudeau to act quickly, prompting US President Joe Biden to request that he employ federal powers.
“The illegal blockades and occupations must end, and the borders must remain open,” Trudeau said in a speech to lawmakers on Thursday as Parliament began debating the Emergencies Act, which must be passed within seven days after a declaration.
