Canada trucker protest - live: Parliament suspended as police swoop on Ottawa convoy arresting leaders first

Police in Ottawa have begun to arrest truckers who have occupied the centre of the Canadian capital for three weeks in protest at Covid-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates.

The move comes after two of the protest leaders were taken in custody on Thursday night and much of downtown was designated a secure area behind 100 checkpoints.

Canada’s parliament has cancelled plans for a debate about the implementation of the Emergencies Act amid the ongoing police operation.

On Thursday, Interim police chief Steve Bell said if the protesters wanted to leave peacefully, now is the time and they will be given a secure route out of the city.

“If they do not peacefully leave, we have plans, strategies and tactics to get them to leave,” he told reporters, saying that action is “imminent”.

Protest organiser Chris Barber was spotted being taken into police custody and later his fellow leader Tamara Lich was also arrested.

Under the Emergencies Act invoked by prime minister Justin Trudeau, law enforcement officials have the ability to arrest people for obstruction of roadways and disruptive behaviour. Authorities also have the power to seize vehicles, freeze bank accounts, and cancel licences.

Since Wednesday, leaflets have been distributed to the truckers warning them to go or face criminal charges. Many appeared determined to stay.

Key Points

• Trudeau declares national emergency

• Leaflets tell Ottawa protesters to leave now or face charges

• Police arrest 11 people with weapons cache at ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest

• Final border blockade ends at Emerson, Manitoba

• Elon Musk ramps up criticism of Trudeau with ‘extremely poor taste’ Hitler tweet

Huge police presence assembled in city centre as arrests begin

13:52 , Oliver O'Connell

CTV’s Mackenzie Gray is on the ground in downtown Ottawa and reports on huge numbers of police staging at various points in the city.

The first arrests have begun with offenders searched and then cuffed.

Police operation begins to arrest truckers in downtown Ottawa

13:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Ottawa police say they have begun arresting truckers who have immobilised traffic for three weeks in protest against Canada’s Covid-19 restrictions.

The capital’s police force took to Twitter on Friday morning to announce that some protesters are surrendering and being arrested outside Parliament Hill.

It comes after two of the protest’s leaders were arrested late Thursday night and much of the downtown area was sealed off.

The Independent’s Megan Sheets has the story.

Ottawa police begin arresting Canadian truckers for blocking traffic in protest

Why are Canadian truckers protesting?

10:07 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Lorry drivers in the North American country were granted a federal exemption from vaccine requirements to enable them to cross the border into the US and back without having to show proof of inoculation against the coronavirus.

However, that privilege has expired and unvaccinated drivers returning from the US face having to quarantine for 14 days, although this requirement would only apply to a minority of around 16,000 drivers given that 85 per cent of their colleagues have had their jabs, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

Joe Sommerlad explains what led to the massive protest that forced the federal government to declare a national emergency.

Why Canadian truckers are driving cross-country to protest vaccine mandates

Civil body to take Canadian government to court over national emergency

09:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) announced that they are taking the Justin Trudeau governmnet to court over for enacting the Emergencies Act to curb the truckers protest against the vaccine Covid-19 mandate.

“...They are expansive emergency orders that have already come into effect and apply equally across the entire country. And they place unprecedented restrictions on every single Canadian’s constitutional rights,” said Abby Deshman, Director of Criminal Justice for the CCLA.

The use of Emergencies Act is “unnecessary, unjustifiable and unconstitutional”, the civil body said.

Voices | We should be outraged by Trudeau’s efforts to shut down protests

08:25 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

By now, I have made my feelings on the Canadian trucker convoy crystal clear. Far from a “worker’s revolution” or “labour strike,” this is right-wing astroturfing, using owner-operator truckers to protest vaccine mandates.

There is nothing left-wing about it, and as a leftist, I do not support the goals of these petty-bourgeois disruptors, writes Skylar Baker-Jordan.

We should be outraged by Trudeau’s efforts to shut down the Canadian trucker protests

ICYMI | Mike Lindell and his 10k pillows denied entry to Canada

07:36 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

MyPillow CEO and pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell and a truck full of 10,000 of his pillows were denied entry to Canada to support protesting truckers.

Mr Lindell and a videographer were intercepted at the Port Huron-Sarnia border crossing on Tuesday evening on their way to Ottawa to distribute “pillows and Bibles” to protestors, a Canadian government source told The National Post.

Graeme Massie has more.

Mike Lindell and his 10k pillows denied entry to Canada to support truckers

Court freezes organisers' accounts and digital wallets

07:05 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The bank accounts and digital wallets of convoy leaders with an estimated more than $1 million in bitcoin and cryptocurrency in them, were frozen following a court hearing late on Thursday night.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Calum MacLeod granted an injunction to a private citizens’ effort to stanch the flow of money that fuelled the three-week-long protest in Canada, Toronto Star reported.

The justice ordered banks, financial institutions, money service businesses, fundraising platforms or websites, cryptocurrency exchanges or platforms, and custodians of any cryptocurrency wallets to halt transactions related to the organisers’ accounts.

Under the Emergencies Act, invoked by prime minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, authorities have the power to freeze bank accounts.

India looking at Canada's developments 'closely'

06:22 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Days after the Canadian government invoked the Emergencies Act, India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said that the High Commission in Canada is looking at the developments “closely”.

“We are following developments in Canada in the context of blockades and protests. We have noted that the government of Canada has actually invoked the Emergency Act. Let me leave it at that on that issue,” Mr Bagchi said at a press conference.

Ex-Iranian president slams Canadian government

05:29 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday criticised the Canadian government for their “violent crackdown” on the truckers protesting against the vaccine mandate.

“The violent crackdown on #FreedomConvoy2022 has nothing to do with freedom of speech and human rights,” Mr Ahmadinejad wrote on Twitter.

“How coercion could be related to liberty and freedom of choice,” he added along with the hashtag #TruckersForFreedom.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has been facing global criticism for invoking the rarely used Emergencies Act in a bid to throttle the protests.

Four held for conspiracy to kill Canadian police

04:51 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Four men were taken into custody following a plot to kill members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The individuals were arrested by the police after a two-week blockade of the Coutts border crossing with the US and Canada, which was closed by so-called “freedom convoy” protesters.

According to Toronto Star, the four accused are from the Canadian province of Alberta.

Gino Spocchia has more.

Four men facing charges for conspiracy to murder Canadian police at convoy blockade

US fundraising for Canada protests may influence American politics too

04:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Whatever impact the protests have on Canadian society, and the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, experts say the outside support is really aimed at energising conservative politics in the US. Midterm elections are looming, and some Republicans think standing with the protesters up north will galvanise fundraising and voter turnout at home, experts say.

AP

US funds for Canada protests may sway American politics too

Police arrest convoy leaders

04:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Canadian police on Thursday arrested two leaders of the trucker protest in Ottawa in a bid to quell the outcry over vaccine mandates.

Tamara Lich was arrested on Thursday evening after Chris Barber was taken into custody.

Under the Emergencies Act, law enforcement officials have the ability to arrest people for obstruction of roadways and disruptive behaviour within a no-go exclusion zone.

Authorities also have the power to seize vehicles and freeze bank accounts.

Ms Lich earlier said that her bank account had already been frozen and she was resigned to going to jail, BBC reported.

Police officers face probe for support of Coutts border crossing truck blockade

03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Two police officers in Alberta, have been placed on administrative leave for making public statements praising the “freedom convoys”.

The pair also travelled to the protest that was blocking access to the border crossing to the US at Coutts, Alberta, CTV reports.

Canadian police officers placed on leave for support of Coutts border blockade

Will it rain pillows on the protesters?

02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Given there’s a snowstorm starting across a swathe of Ontario, Mike Lindell’s promise to deliver pillows by parachute into the middle of Ottawa seems even less likely than before.

Andrew Naughtie reports.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell plans to deliver pillows to truckers via parachute

Why Canadian truckers drove cross-country to protest vaccine mandates

01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Joe Sommerlad explains why, where and when the Canadian trucker protests began.

Why Canadian truckers are driving cross-country to protest vaccine mandates

Elon Musk tweet and deletes meme comparing Trudeau to Hitler

00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk shared a meme comparing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on Thursday.

Mr Musk shared an image of the former German dictator overlaid with text that read, “stop comparing me to Justin Trudeau. I had a budget”.

The image was shared by the CEO in response to an article from cryptocurrency news site CoinDesk detailing Mr Trudeau’s order sanctioning crypto wallets associated with the trucker protests that have ensnared Canada’s economy as well as the capital city of Ottawa. It was deleted by Mr Musk by mid-afternoon on Thursday.

Elon Musk tweets then deletes meme comparing Canada’s Trudeau to Hitler

Predicted snowstorm begins

Thursday 17 February 2022 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The predicted snowstorm has begun as one truck was seen departing Wellington Street.

The bouncy castle has also had to be deflated.

Police setting up secure zone across most of downtown

Thursday 17 February 2022 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Ottawa secure zone stretches across Centretown and the Golden Triangle from Bronson to the canal and from Queensway to Parliament.

Protest organiser taken into custody

Thursday 17 February 2022 22:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Trucker convoy protest organiser Chris Barber has been seen being taken into police custody on Ottawa’s Albert Street.

Reports are coming in of other sporadic arrests in downtown, but no concerted police action yet.

Increased police presence already noted in downtown Ottawa

Thursday 17 February 2022 22:11 , Oliver O'Connell

Canadian premiers, US governors ask Biden and Trudeau for trucker vaccination exemption at border

Thursday 17 February 2022 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and 16 Republican Governors from the US have signed a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden calling on the leaders to exempt truck drivers from vaccination and quarantine policies at the Canada-US border.

The letter was sent Wednesday morning, according to CBC News.

“We are writing to request that you immediately reinstate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions available to cross-border truck drivers. We understand the vital importance of vaccines in the fight against Covid-19 and continue to encourage eligible individuals to get vaccinated,” it said.

The letter was signed by a mix of US governors, some from border states like Montana, North Dakota and Alaska, and some from southern states like Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama.

The letter said the decision to end the exemption for truck drivers on 15 January came at the worst time.

The policy requires truck drivers to be fully vaccinated or face a two-week quarantine and pre-arrival molecular test for Covid-19 before crossing into Canada. The US requires truckers to be vaccinated.

The signatories of the letter says that the policy has had “demonstrably negative impacts on the North American supply chain, cost of living, and access to essential products”.

“Transportation associations have informed us that the lack of exemptions will force thousands of drivers out of the trucking industry, which is already facing a significant workforce shortage,” the letter said.

The letter did not mention the trucker occupation in downtown Ottawa, nor the various border blockades in different provinces, which have ended.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance says the vast majority of truck drivers are fully vaccinated in line with the rest of the general public in Canada, which stands at approximately 83 per cent of the population.

Action ‘imminent’ says Bell

Thursday 17 February 2022 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Thursday 17 February 2022 21:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Police from different parts of Ontario and Quebec have been drafted into the city and action against the protesters is imminent.

They are willing to use all “lawful tactics” to the end the unlawful protest.

Mr Bell tells protesters that if they want to leave under their own terms, now is the time, and that safe passage through the city will be ensured.

He stresses that this weekend will be very different from the past three weekends.

“If they do not peacefully leave, we have plans, strategies and tactics to get them to leave,” says the interim police chief of Ottawa.

Interim police chief: 100 check points set up in secure downtown area

Thursday 17 February 2022 20:56 , Oliver O'Connell

Interim Ottawa police chief Steve Bell tells reporters there will be 100 check points set up in the downtown area in a “secure area”.

Those who don’t live, work or have good reason to be inside won’t be allowed. This could prevent weekend supporters from outside the city.

He adds: “[We] won’t be establishing any goals or targets” when it comes to the number of trucks they want to get out.

‘When Americans talk about Canada, they are really talking about their own politics'

Thursday 17 February 2022 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Academic and former national security adviser Stephanie Carvin writes:

Americans always view Canada as a foil for their own country. On the left we are a multicultural paradise with healthcare. On the right, we are a socialist hellscape. When Americans talk about Canada, they are really talking about their own politics and to their own audiences.

This is a reason why I don’t worry *that* much about US politicians talking about the Convoy. They are trying to use Canada to make a point about what’s going on at home. Canada might as well be “Joe Biden”.

To be clear, US money and energy has clearly fuelled the Convoy. We likely wouldn’t be in this mess without the informal attempt to export the Trumpian revolution to Canada. We will have to reckon with that. As well as the transnational ties between extremist groups.

But honestly, this dynamic — that Canada is really just a political prop — explains about 90 per cent of the exceptionally bad takes we are seeing. (And I put about 10 per cent as pure trolling.)

H/t to Alexander Panetta, CBC News’ Washington Correspondent, for flagging this up on Twitter and providing examples. He writes:

Examples of this: -Cartoonish one-dimensional caricatures of Canada’s health system as Good or Bad -Trudeau being lionized as progressive hero or scorned as devil incarnate -The Keystone XL debate All domestic politics. And it ain’t yours.

He adds:

Canadians sorta do the same thing, differently.

They constantly. And I mean constantly. Borrow US themes and insert them into their own political conversations. From left to, ahem, Ottawa.

One difference being is they pay closer and constant attention to the US.

American donations to Canada protest could galvanise US politics too

Thursday 17 February 2022 19:55 , Oliver O'Connell

The protests and blockades in Canada have been cheered and partially funded by American right-wing activists and conservative politicians who also oppose vaccine mandates and the country's liberal leader.

Yet whatever impact the protests have on Canadian society and the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, experts say the outside support is really aimed at energising conservative politics in the US. Midterm elections are looming, and some Republicans think standing with the protesters up north will galvanise fundraising and voter turnout at home, these experts say.

“The kind of narratives that the truckers and the trucker convoy are focusing on are going to be really important issues for the [US] elections coming ahead,” said Samantha Bradshaw, a postdoctoral fellow at the Digital Civil Society Lab at Stanford University. “And so using this protest as an opportunity to galvanise their own supporters and other groups, I think it’s very much an opportunity for them.”

About 44 per cent of the nearly $10m in contributions to support the protesters originated from US donors, according to an Associated Press analysis of leaked donor files. US Republican elected officials, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have praised the protesters calling them “heroes” and “patriots.”

Fox News host Sean Hannity told two protest organisers on his show on Wednesday that “you do have a lot of support from your friends in America. That I can tell you.” He added: “We have a movement in America that’s starting very soon.”

AP

US funds for Canada protests may sway American politics too

Hot tub and bouncy castle return

Thursday 17 February 2022 19:35 , Oliver O'Connell

The protesters’ hot tub and bouncy castle have returned despite the rain and increased police pressure to leave.

The presence of the hot tub over last weekend was allegedly one of the aspects of the carnival-like atmosphere that led to the decision in trigger the Emergencies Act.

Ottawa Police to restrict access to downtown core

Thursday 17 February 2022 19:25 , Oliver O'Connell

A statement from interim police chief Steve Bell says that in addition to the increased number of officers on the street and the erection of fencing, police will soon begin restricting access to the downtown core of Ottawa to “residents, businesses, and others with lawful reasons.”

More details on C$306m lawsuit against protest and donors

Thursday 17 February 2022 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Lawyer Paul Champ tweets: “Ottawa fights back. On behalf of downtown residents, businesses and workers, we are suing the Freedom Convoy organizers, truckers and donors for $306m and counting. Each day is another $1m in personal harm and lost revenues and wages.”

With truckers now individually named in the lawsuit, they are advised to retain counsel and prepare for extended litigation.

Winter storm bearing down on Ottawa

Thursday 17 February 2022 19:10 , Oliver O'Connell

A winter storm warning is in effect for Ottawa from this evening into Friday. It is not clear what impact this may have on either protesters’ resolve or any ability to clear the streets by authorities.

Snow, at times heavy, with total accumulations of 20-30cm (8-12 inches) is expected by Friday morning with significantly reduced visibilities at times in heavy snow and local blowing snow. Peak snowfall rates of 2-4cm per hour likely at times.

Lows of -11C to -15C are expected (12F to 5F).

Truckers brace for crackdown as Trudeau says protest must end

Thursday 17 February 2022 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Police poured into downtown Ottawa on Thursday in what truckers feared was a prelude to a crackdown on their nearly three-week, street-clogging protest against Canada's Covid-19 restrictions.

Work crews in the capital erected fences outside Parliament, and for the second day in a row, officers handed out warnings to the protesters to leave. Busloads of police converged on the area in the morning.

“It’s high time that these illegal and dangerous activities stop,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared in Parliament, not far from where the more than 300 trucks were parked.

“They are a threat to our economy and our relationship with trading partners,” he said. “They are a threat to public safety.”

Many of the protesters in the self-styled Freedom Convoy reacted to the warnings with scorn. As of midday, the vast majority appeared to be staying put.

“I’m prepared sit on my ass and watch them hit me with pepper spray,” said one of their leaders, Pat King. As for the big rigs parked bumper-to-bumper, he said: “There’s no tow trucks in Canada that will touch them.”

Ottawa represented the movement's last stronghold after weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the US, inflicted economic damage on both countries and created a political crisis for Trudeau.

AP

Truckers brace for a police crackdown in besieged Ottawa

The horns are back and incredibly loud

Thursday 17 February 2022 18:26 , Oliver O'Connell

So much for that court injunction being extended...

Pillows by parachute?

Thursday 17 February 2022 18:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Entrepreneur, Trump supporter and notoriously erratic conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell says he is planning to drop pillows on protesting truckers in Canada as he supports their “freedom convoy” demonstration against Covid-19 regulations.

Speaking to the Daily Beast, Mr Lindell – the founder and CEO of MyPillow – said that he had hired a helicopter to fly into Canadian airspace and distribute pillows fitted “with little parachutes”.

“We need to get the MyPillows to the people!” he said, assuring the outlet that “it is no joke!”

Andrew Naughtie reports on the madness.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell plans to deliver pillows to truckers via parachute