Canada: Police arrest 2 protest leaders

Canadian police on Thursday arrested at least two leaders of the so-called "freedom convoy" protest that has paralyzed the Canadian capital city of Ottawa.

One of the arrested organizers said she expected to be arrested in a video posted Thursday after Ottawa police issued a final warning to protesters late Wednesday, telling protesters to leave or face "imminent arrest."

The organizer called on supporters to flood the capital in the video, saying truckers already in place would "stay and fight for your freedom." 

"If you can come to Ottawa and stand with us, that would be fantastic," she said. Another protest leader was arrested a few hours prior.

More police deployed around Parliament building

Police on Thursday surrounded the area around the Parliament Hill, where some 300 truck tractors remained parked.

"We've begun to harden the perimeter around the protests," interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said. "What I can tell you is this weekend will look very different than the past three weekends."

"We absolutely are committed to end this unlawful demonstration. We have the plan, we have the commitment, we have the resources," Bell told reporters.

Bell assumed his post after the previous chief, Peter Sloly, quit this week amid residents' fury over what they perceived as police inaction.

On Wednesday, Bell had issued an ultimatum to protesters warning them to leave or be arrested, pledging in a statement, "to take back the entirety of the downtown core and every occupied space."

He added that "some of the techniques we are lawfully able and prepared to use are not what we are used to seeing in Ottawa."

A large number of police officers have since moved to the protest site and cordoned off the area.

"I implore anyone that's there: Get in your truck ... and leave our city streets," Bell told reporters.

House of Commons cancels debate over emergency powers

Canadian lawmakers also took the extraordinary step of canceling a parliamentary session Friday, as police prepared to clear trucks from downtown Ottawa.

House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota released a statement to lawmakers alerting them that, "a police operation" was expected to take place outside the parliament building and other locations in downtown Ottawa Friday, warning them to "stay away from the downtown core until further notice." 

Rota added that the "exceptional circumstances" and "ever-changing" situation in the streets had dictated the cancellation of parliamentary activity.

Parliamentarians were scheduled to engage in the second day of debate on the Emergencies Act invoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the protests a threat to democracy, adding, "The illegal blockades and occupations have to stop and the borders have to remain open." 

The Emergency Act, invoked for the first time in more than 50 years, must be approved by parliament within a week of announcement.

Government House Leader Mark Holland said he hoped that the second day of debate on the government's use of the act could resume Saturday. 

Opposition Conservatives say the Emergency Act is not needed and have accused Prime Minister Trudeau of "coming down on peaceful protesters with a sledgehammer." 

Parliamentary tempers flared during debate on Wednesday, for instance, when Trudeau responded to Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, who accused him of "fanning the flame of an unjustified national emergency." 

Trudeau fired back, saying: "Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas. They can stand with people who wave the Confederate flag. We will choose to stand with Canadians who deserve to be able to get to their jobs, to be able to get their lives back. These illegal protests need to stop, and they will."

Conservatives leapt at the opportunity to accuse Trudeau of injurious comment. Lantsman, who is of Jewish descent, demanded an apology, which Trudeau refused to give.

Trudeau's comments and those of his opposition colleagues earned rebuke from House Speaker Rota. The incident was widely covered by right-wing media outlets.

Though such symbols have been sighted at the protests, they have been denounced by parliamentarians. Nevertheless, the new leader of the Conservative Party, Candice Bergen, has eagerly met with the anti-government protesters calling for Trudeau's removal from office.

How the situation evolved

The protest began at the end of last month when Canadian truckers descended on the capital Ottawa and later blocked a key bridge between Canada and the US over COVID-19 vaccination rules.

On February 14, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked Canada's Emergencies Act, which gave the police sweeping powers to respond to the crisis. The road convoy was broken up by police on the same day.

The Ambassador Bridge, the busiest border crossing in North America and a vital international trade corridor linking Detroit and Windsor, was reopened, but the protests were far from over since thousands had camped out in trucks and vehicles in Ottawa. 

Ottawa police said in a statement a few days ago that "safety concerns — arising from aggressive, illegal behavior by many demonstrators" limited what security forces could do.

rm/fb (AFP, AP)