Parts of Ottawa’s downtown core remain gridlocked as a scaled-down, core group of protesters continue to occupy the areas surrounding Parliament Hill.
Some members of the convoy arrived in downtown Ottawa on Friday, ahead of a big rally on the Hill Saturday, with several big rigs, personal vehicles and protesters remaining since.
Several businesses remain closed due to the protest on Wednesday, including the Rideau Centre and The Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History.
There is a police information briefing expected Wednesday afternoon to provide an update on the demonstration, but residents are becoming increasingly frustrated as protesters have been bringing in fuel and supplies to those who are hunkered down in their vehicles, allowing them to stay put.
There have been calls for Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and the Ottawa Police Service to do more to remove the convoy, after officials on Tuesday estimated the crowd to include approximately 50 people on Parliament Hill and another 200 nearby.
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According to a statement issued by the convoy’s organizers Wednesday, they plan to remain in Ottawa “for as long as it takes for governments across Canada to end all mandates associated with COVID-19.”
Despite police estimates, spokesperson for the convoy Tamara Lich said in the statement that convoy organizers estimate the number of participants in the Ottawa protest to be in the tens of thousands, though it is unclear if they are counting those who took part in the convoy’s trip across the country or those who rallied over the weekend.
"Our message to the citizens of Ottawa is one of empathy. We understand your frustration and genuinely wish there was another way for us to get our message across, but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians who have prefer [sic] to vilify and call us names rather than engage in respectful, serious dialogue," said senior convoy leader Chris Barber, in the release. "The fastest way to get us out of the nation’s Capital, is to call your elected representatives and end all C-19 mandates, as the U.K. did two weeks ago and as both Sweden and Switzerland did today."
The statement also decried “rhetoric” from politicians, in particular Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who they accuse of characterizing the protesters “as racists, and even terrorists.”
"We are determined to be respectful the law [sic], be peaceful in conduct, and to retain our dignity, despite the school-yard mudslinging and bullying of some politicians and members of the press. Nobody should underestimate our resolve or our resilience,” the statement reads.
Protesters will have to deal with the winter storm coming their way, with Environment Canada estimating that parts of Ontario, including Ottawa, could see freezing rain Wednesday morning in addition to snowfall, depending how low the temperature drops. Up to 20 centimetres of snow is expected in the capital.
The snow also presents an issue for the city, as many trucks are blocking routes and residential areas that will need snow removal services.
POLICE INVESTIGATIONS UNDERWAY
Ottawa police announced Tuesday night that two people were arrested and charged in connection with incidents that took place at the demonstration over the weekend.
A 29-year-old Ottawa man was charged for allegedly causing mischief to property on Saturday. Police didn’t specify what the mischief entailed, but said they waited to make an arrest at the time in order to avoid "a larger confrontation."
On Sunday, a 37-year-old Ottawa man was charged with carrying a weapon to a public meeting. No further details were given on what the weapon was.
Ottawa police said in a media release that they have 13 investigations underway and that they are making progress on the "desecration of the War Monxjmtzywument."
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RELATED IMAGESview larger image
A protestor walks in front of Parliament on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 in Ottawa. As organizers behind the demonstration that has seized the nation’s capital say they are preparing to stick around even longer by distributing fuel and supplies to the trucks clogging up Ottawa streets, politicians at all levels of government are asking them to roll out. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
