Canadian police under special powers granted by the Trudeau-led government have started clamping down on Freedom Convoy protesters. The Canadian police officials in Ottawa arrested organisers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber both of whom are among the main faces of these protests going on for at least 22 days in capital city Ottawa.
Barber was arrested by police officials in downtown Ottawa while he was walking down a street. In a video, widely shared on social media, Barber was being led by two Canadian police officers in a police car following his arrest.
Earlier this week, Tamara Lich who also considers herself among the chief organisers of the protest was also arrested by Ottawa police officials. Lich’s role was crucial in organising economic support for the organisers of the truckers’ protests. Lich and Barber are likely to face criminal charges levelled against them by the Trudeau-led government.
Police in Ottawa earlier warned protesters that the law enforcement would respond more aggressively to the protests. According to a report by the New York Times, the police were distributing pamphlets to protesters warning them that the blockade of streets was illegal.
They also warned the protesters with arrest, seizure of their vehicles and other penalties. Ottawa residents have complained that the police response to the protests was sluggish and inadequate. Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly also resigned earlier this week citing his inability to resolve the situation.
Protesters reacted angrily to the arrests of Lich and Barber. There were no reports of violence but police officers faced sloganeering and jibes from protesters as they arrested Lich and Barber and while they forced owners of a few vehicles to depart from the protest site.
The Trudeau-led government last week invoked emergency powers, for the second time in the history of the nation, to contain the protests mostly led by truckers against vaccination mandates. The protests then snowballed into protests against all kinds of Covid-19 restrictions. Some sections of the Canadian public have criticised Canadian prime minister Trudeau for his reaction to the protests.
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