Canada: Ottawa 'completely out of control' after truckers outnumber police

Gallery

MORE...

Sports

Hockey India names core probable group for senior men's national camp

Hockey India has announced a 54-member core probable squad for the upcoming senior men’s

Satwik-Chirag return as BAI names 14-strong squad for BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025

Men’s Sr Hockey Nationals to be played in division-based format from April 4

Mensik denies Djokovic 100th title in Miami final

KIPG: Son of a vegetable vendor, Bihar’s Jhandu Kumar eyes Worlds, 2028 Paralympics

Hardik Singh credits hard work and team unity for receiving HI Midfielder of the Year award

MORE...

Canada: Ottawa 'completely out of control' after truckers outnumber police

Last Updated : 07 Feb 2022 06:24:27 PM IST

The mayor of Canada's capital Ottawa has declared a state of emergency in response to more than a week of truckers' protests against Covid restrictions, BBC reported.

Jim Watson said the city was "completely out of control", with demonstrators outnumbering police.

He said the protests posed a threat to residents' safety. There have also been reports of racial attacks. Ottawa's centre has been paralysed, with vehicles and tents blocking roads, the report said.

The "Freedom Convoy" was sparked by the introduction last month of a new rule that all truckers must be vaccinated to cross the US- Canada border, but the protests have morphed into broader challenges to Covid health restrictions.

The protesters have since gathered in downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill, and their demands have grown to include ending all such mandates nationwide and opposing the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Speaking to Canadian radio station CFRA, Mr Watson said the protesters were behaving increasingly "insensitively" by continuously "blaring horns and sirens, [setting off] fireworks and turning it into a party".

"Clearly, we are outnumbered and we are losing this battle," he said, adding: "This has to be reversed - we have to get our city back."