The China Mail - Weekend-long Canada anti-vax protest riles Ottawa

USD -
AED 3.673042
AFN 72.000368
ALL 87.274775
AMD 390.940403
ANG 1.80229
AOA 912.000367
ARS 1137.970104
AUD 1.565349
AWG 1.8
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.720686
BBD 2.017877
BDT 121.428069
BGN 1.721593
BHD 0.376901
BIF 2930
BMD 1
BND 1.312071
BOB 6.906563
BRL 5.808204
BSD 0.999437
BTN 85.314611
BWP 13.77569
BYN 3.270808
BYR 19600
BZD 2.007496
CAD 1.384165
CDF 2877.000362
CHF 0.81849
CLF 0.025203
CLP 967.160396
CNY 7.30391
CNH 7.30369
COP 4310
CRC 502.269848
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 97.403894
CZK 22.038604
DJF 177.720393
DKK 6.56557
DOP 60.503884
DZD 132.56604
EGP 51.126904
ERN 15
ETB 133.023649
EUR 0.879325
FJD 2.283704
FKP 0.753159
GBP 0.753835
GEL 2.740391
GGP 0.753159
GHS 15.56039
GIP 0.753159
GMD 71.503851
GNF 8655.503848
GTQ 7.698128
GYD 209.656701
HKD 7.76252
HNL 25.908819
HRK 6.612104
HTG 130.419482
HUF 359.10504
IDR 16862.9
ILS 3.68395
IMP 0.753159
INR 85.377504
IQD 1310
IRR 42125.000352
ISK 127.590386
JEP 0.753159
JMD 157.965583
JOD 0.709304
JPY 142.17104
KES 129.503801
KGS 87.233504
KHR 4015.00035
KMF 433.503794
KPW 899.977001
KRW 1418.390383
KWD 0.30663
KYD 0.832893
KZT 523.173564
LAK 21630.000349
LBP 89600.000349
LKR 298.915224
LRD 199.975039
LSL 18.856894
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 5.470381
MAD 9.275039
MDL 17.289555
MGA 4552.892736
MKD 54.091003
MMK 2099.608303
MNT 3548.057033
MOP 7.990393
MRU 39.435529
MUR 45.090378
MVR 15.403739
MWK 1736.000345
MXN 19.72174
MYR 4.407504
MZN 63.905039
NAD 18.856894
NGN 1604.703725
NIO 36.775056
NOK 10.481075
NPR 136.503202
NZD 1.685133
OMR 0.384998
PAB 0.999437
PEN 3.763039
PGK 4.133235
PHP 56.712504
PKR 280.603701
PLN 3.762405
PYG 7999.894426
QAR 3.640604
RON 4.378104
RSD 103.137317
RUB 82.174309
RWF 1415
SAR 3.752237
SBD 8.368347
SCR 14.241693
SDG 600.503676
SEK 9.63369
SGD 1.310745
SHP 0.785843
SLE 22.775038
SLL 20969.483762
SOS 571.503662
SRD 37.15037
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.745073
SYP 13001.68631
SZL 18.820369
THB 33.347038
TJS 10.733754
TMT 3.5
TND 2.988038
TOP 2.342104
TRY 38.12382
TTD 6.781391
TWD 32.524038
TZS 2687.503631
UAH 41.417687
UGX 3663.55798
UYU 41.913007
UZS 12986.521678
VES 80.85863
VND 25870
VUV 121.398575
WST 2.784098
XAF 577.111964
XAG 0.03066
XAU 0.000301
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.717698
XOF 575.000332
XPF 102.775037
YER 245.250363
ZAR 18.840363
ZMK 9001.203587
ZMW 28.458439
ZWL 321.999592
  • RELX

    1.0000

    52.2

    +1.92%

  • AZN

    0.5400

    67.59

    +0.8%

  • SCS

    0.0500

    9.76

    +0.51%

  • NGG

    0.6300

    72.11

    +0.87%

  • GSK

    0.5600

    35.93

    +1.56%

  • RBGPF

    63.5900

    63.59

    +100%

  • BTI

    0.5400

    42.37

    +1.27%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1400

    9.36

    -1.5%

  • CMSC

    0.0400

    21.82

    +0.18%

  • RIO

    1.0100

    58.17

    +1.74%

  • CMSD

    0.0400

    21.96

    +0.18%

  • JRI

    0.1600

    12.4

    +1.29%

  • VOD

    0.1400

    9.31

    +1.5%

  • BCE

    0.4200

    22.04

    +1.91%

  • BCC

    0.7800

    93.47

    +0.83%

  • BP

    0.6600

    28.32

    +2.33%

Weekend-long Canada anti-vax protest riles Ottawa

Weekend-long Canada anti-vax protest riles Ottawa

A "Freedom Convoy" of trucks joined by thousands of demonstrators brought Ottawa to a virtual standstill for a second day Sunday to protest Canada's vaccine mandates, as other sympathetic truckers blocked a border highway into the United States.

Text size:

The chaos clogged the capital's downtown near parliament throughout the weekend and brought criticism from officials including Ottawa's mayor.

"This afternoon, a large presence of police continues throughout the downtown core and the movement of protestors and trucks continues to be managed," the Ottawa police said in a statement.

"These high-risk situations were de-escalated and resolved with no arrests," the authorities said, adding that "police resources are fully stretched" in dealing with the obstruction, which appeared to involve hundreds of trucks.

The boisterous protests threatened to disrupt business Monday, with authorities stating that City Hall will remain closed, traffic will be disrupted and some other services stalled.

The protest originated last week in western Canada, where dozens of truckers organized a convoy to drive from Vancouver to the Canadian capital to demonstrate against Covid-related restrictions, particularly a recent vaccination requirement for truck drivers crossing the long US-Canada border.

Multiple convoys began arriving in Ottawa on Friday, and were joined by thousands of other anti-vaccination protesters.

In solidarity with the convergence on Ottawa, truckers Sunday staged what police described as a "complete blockage" of Highway 4 in Canada's western Alberta province along the US border. The road is a major artery for commercial goods between the nations.

"As of right now... the port of entry remains open technically speaking, however nobody would be able to get to them except on foot," Curtis Peters, a spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta, told AFP, adding that some 100 trucks were blocking the roadway.

In Ottawa, the desecration of a war memorial and harassment of some city officials and NGO volunteers sparked an angry response, and the police said they had launched "several investigations."

"I am sickened to see protesters dance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrate the National War Memorial," Wayne Eyre, chief of the country's Defense Staff, said on Twitter.

"Those involved should hang their heads in shame."

- 'Show some respect' -

Barricades were installed Sunday to block vehicle access to the area around the war memorial, after several illegally parked vehicles were towed away.

And an organization advocating for the homeless, Shepherds of Good Hope, said its workers had been "harassed" by protesters demanding meals on a particularly cold weekend.

It said it had briefly given free meals to some demonstrators in an effort to defuse tensions, but added, "This weekend's events have caused significant strain to our operations at an already difficult time."

With protesters gathering, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family were moved Saturday to an undisclosed location in Ottawa, Canadian media reported.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson fumed over what he called "threatening" behavior by some of the protesters, particularly against the media.

"Stop the bully tactics and show some respect to fellow Canadians," he said on Twitter.

Later, in an interview with the CBC, Watson said it was time for protesters to "move on" so Ottawa can return to normal.

"Quite frankly, (residents) feel they're prisoners in their own home," he said.

L.Johnson--ThChM