Canada truckers: Arrests as police warn of ‘volatile’ protesters

Ottawa police have said “volatile” and “determined” demonstrators remain in Canada’s capital after nearly two weeks of a trucker-led anti-vaccine mandate protest.

Ottawa is under a state of emergency as police try to contain the rally.

Up to 25% of vehicles in the so-called Freedom Convoy have children in them who could be at risk during operations, authorities said on Tuesday.

The rally has grown to include thousands of demonstr ators.

It began on 9 January in western Canada, as truckers protested against a rule that requires them to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to cross the US-Canada border. The demonstrations have morphed to include anger at a raft of Covid-19 restrictions and at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government generally.

Though the convoy has been mostly peaceful, police have expressed concern about extremist rhetoric coming from far-right groups among the protesters. As well as reported racial and homophobic abuse, some danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memoria l.

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