After lamenting earlier on Sunday that Canadian capital city police have been outnumbered by the anti-COVID-mandate truckers and their pedestrian supporters, the mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, has declared a state of emergency, due to a “serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government.”
“The situation at this point is completely out of control because the individuals with the protest are calling the shots,” Ottawa mayor said.
They have far more people than we have police officers and I’ve indicated to the chief that we have to be much nimbler and more proactive when it comes to these activities.”
Watson’s statements echoed an admission by Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly on Saturday. “We do not have sufficient resources to adequately and effectively address this situation while adequately and effectively providing policing in this city,” the top cop said during a meeting with the Ottawa Police Services Board.
Referring to the demonstration as a “siege,” he insisted it was “something that is different in our democracy than something I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
While Sloly has repeatedly claimed “all options are on the table,” Canada’s Prime Minista Justin Trudeau last week ruled out deploying the military, acknowledging that such a response should be a matter of last resort. The protesters have promised to hold the line until the government repeals its vaccination mandates and QR code “health passports.”
Before announcing the emergency, Watson pleaded with the federal government to “sit down and have some kind of a discussion, some kind of mediation to get this situation resolved because it’s now spreading across the country.”
Around 5,000 people and 1,000 vehicles descended on downtown Ottawa on Saturday, joining the multitudes already present on the 10th day of the ongoing protests. A smaller counter-protest took place at City Hall.
Organizers have indicated they plan to stay in Ottawa for the “long haul,” seeking donations from supporters to cover the costs of fuel, food, and lodging.
Authorities have placed heavy barricades at key crossing points throughout downtown and closed roads in an effort to keep out the endless parade of trucks.
