The police went on the offensive on Friday, managing to dislodge more than twenty trucks that had been blocking downtown Ottawa for three weeks, in an operation that will continue day and night, possibly for several days.
Agents of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) were on the front line, at midday, in front of the Canadian Senate. Their presence aroused outrage among the many demonstrators on the spot. “You don’t even have the right to be here!” launched in French a woman dressed in a flag with an insulting slogan towards the Prime Minister. Around her, Quebec protesters began to sing the French version of the Canadian national anthem.
The SQ is one of the seven police forces sent to the federal capital, paralyzed for 22 days nowfor an operation made possible by the declarations ofemergency state from the Canadian government, but also from the Ontario government and the municipality of Ottawa. The process “will take time”, admitted the new interim chief of police of Ottawa, Steve Bell.
By early evening, a hundred demonstrators had been arrested, and 21 vehicles had been towed, according to the police. Several other truck or van drivers had decided to leave the scene on their own, while the contingent of a hundred police officers wearing different uniforms was slowly but surely advancing.
Amid the buzz of police drones, officers on horseback advanced towards an at times hostile crowd in order to push them back. A protester took the opportunity to throw his bike at the hooves of a service animal, and was quickly arrested for injuring it, according to an account from authorities.
The police presence had been increased for two days in the streets of Ottawa. Several officers were dressed in riot gear or carrying tear gas canisters. Some were heavily armed. The parliament even closed its doors on Friday, a first since the October 2014 shooting.
A slow operation
“We have the situation on the ground under control and we continue to move forward to clear our streets,” said Steve Bell, who leads operations. “This methodical and well-coordinated plan will take time, and we will see it through,” he said, promising that his agents will work “24 hours a day”.
The demonstrators, who have been living in the city center for three weeks now, have shown no sign of wanting to leave, despite the many warnings that they received. They massed by the dozens to block the road to the police on Friday as they tried to clear the street leading to parliament. Police and demonstrators thus remained face to face for hours, the police progressing very quietly.
As they advanced, police arrested hostile protesters, one by one. Seeing the vise tighten, and hoping to slow the police offensive, agitators standing a little further west began to erect snow walls around the convoy’s trucks. At the time of writing, only a small portion of the occupied territory had been liberated, east of the Canadian War Memorial, which includes Sussex and Rideau Streets.
Protesters resist
On most of the other streets of the capital occupied by heavy goods vehicles, the atmosphere was calm, even festive. The bouncy castle, erected a few days ago in front of the East Block of Parliament, was still in full view. In the followingnoon, it had been deflated, just like the inflatable spa that had been installed.
A few truckers were also convinced to leave the scene, given the slow but relentless advance of the officers towards them. Police officers took great care to check the identity and license plate number of the protesters who were leaving.
Among the demonstrators, some still might not believe that the police would pin them down. “Me in jail? I’ve been reading the Bible since I was 16,” said one.
“I have been arrested several times. Give only your name. In three days, you will be released, and we will meet here, ”said a protester mounted on a palisade in front of the Prime Minister’s office building, facing parliament. “Amen, brother,” replied another.
Ottawa police reported protesters had placed children between themselves and peace officers. Chief Bell said he was “shocked”. “The children will be taken to a place of safety,” the police said on Twitter, but none of them had been removed by followingnoon to be entrusted to the youth protection services. Demonstrators also allegedly assaulted officers and “tried to take their weapons away from them”.
The tow trucks have arrived
The first heavy tow trucks appeared near a small isolated collection of trucks east of downtown. All had their logo covered. Operators wore balaclavas, perhaps because the temperature felt like -23C, but also to remain anonymous, with some having received threats from truckers who have taken part in protests in recent weeks. The Emergency Measures Act allows the federal government to compel tugs to lend a hand to the police.
Prominent organizer of the trucking convoy, Patrick King, filmed his own arrest and broadcast it live on Facebook on Friday. He was charged with counseling others to commit the offense of mischief, counseling others to commit the offense of obstructing a police officer, and counseling others to disobey a court order.
Thursday evening, two of his co-organizers had also been apprehended. Chris Barber would face the same three counts. Tamara Lich was charged with counseling others to commit the offense of mischief.