More Police To Be Deployed In Ottawa
Ottawa, Feb 8: Canada’s federal police have approved the City of Ottawa’s request for additional officers to quell the anti-government protest that has overwhelmed the nation’s capital for over a week, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announced on Monday. “I can confirm that the [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] RCMP has received and approved a request for additional officers,” Mendicino said during an emergency debate on the situation on Monday.
Mendicino noted that over 275 officers are already at the Ottawa Police Service’s disposal. Ottawa’s municipal police, which have come under heavy scrutiny for their handling of the protest, are also being aided by some 1,500 Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers, a daily average of 135 to 200 officers. Federal, provincial and local officials are calling on protesters to vacate Ottawa and are increasingly calling on Ottawa police to step up enforcement efforts.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency in the city earlier in the day. Protesters, however, have signaled that they are digging in for the long-haul, but face opposition from all levels of government and local residents, who liken the noisy and contentious protest to an “occupation.”
The wave of protest across Canada began in mid-January, with thousands of truckers and other demonstrators converging upon Ottawa to express strong opposition to vaccine mandates for truckers crossing the US-Canada border. The protest has since evolved into an anti-government demonstration, with various groups uniting in opposition of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests have been generally peaceful, but dozens of criminal investigations have been launched into a series of incidents and at least seven people have been arrested in Ottawa.
