50,000 Truckers Vow To Stay In Ottawa Until Government Lifts Mandates

50,000 truckers vow to stay in Ottawa until government lifts vaccine mandates

Ramon Tomey 

Canada’s Freedom Convoy vowed to stay in the capital city of Ottawa until the government lifts its vaccine mandate for truckers.

The convoy set out from the province of British Columbia on Jan. 23. It headed eastward and arrived in Ottawa six days later on Jan. 29. A report said the organizers initially estimated 1,600 trucks to participate. This later grew to 36,000 and eventually hit close to 50,000 trucks.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said it reported zero arrests at the Freedom Convoy’s gathering on Parliament Hill on the weekend of Jan. 29 and 30.

A statement by the OPS released in the morning of Jan. 30 said: “large crowds remained in the downtown core throughout the night and were actively managed by police. Officers encountered several challenges with demonstrators, including specific road blockages by trucks, which officers worked to clear. These high-risk situations were de-escalated and resolved with no arrests.”

A later OPS statement released on the evening of Jan. 30 mentioned police officers dealing with “disruptive, inappropriate and threatening behavior from demonstrators.” Despite this, the later statement made no mention of arrests. “Throughout the weekend, the OPS and its partners have been actively and patiently managing a well-funded, major demonstration in the downtown core,” the Jan. 30 statement said. (Related: 50,000 truckers storm Ottawa to demand end to covid “vaccine” mandates.)

According to a Jan. 31 CTV News report, OPS Chief Peter Sloly claimed “all options are on the table” to bring the Freedom Convoy to an end and that law enforcement is negotiating with protest organizers. “All options are on the table, from negotiation through to enforcement,” he said.

Sloly also lauded the OPS members for their response to the protests at the capital. “No riots, no injuries, no deaths. None of that has occurred over the last four days. That is a measure of success for any jurisdiction in Canada, and quite frankly anywhere in the world.”

 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has remained adamant with his stance. He said on Jan. 31 that he would not meet with the Freedom Convoy as he does not believe in its goals.

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