“The blockade in Canada must end, and the federal government will work on every possible option to resolve the situation,” the statement wrote Saturday after the meeting. Justin Trudeau He stressed that “the border crossings cannot and will not remain closed, and all options are currently under consideration.”
A team has met before the first show It is a team of ministers and officials who support Canadian provinces and cities in finding solutions to end the “unlawful blockade and land grab”. The topic of the meeting was also the economic threats related to the blockade, including risks to jobs. The protection of airports, ports and railways in the event of a blockade and ensuring the safety of “populations and communities” were also discussed.
representative Federal Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) also provided information on activities at border crossing points in Coats, Alberta, Emerson and Manitoba and measures taken to avoid closing in other places.
Earlier, the media reported on police activities on Ambassador Bridge, a bridge located between Canadian Windsor and American Detroit, and is one of the most important border crossings for the Canadian economy. Despite police measures and the partial removal of obstructed trucks on Saturday, a large crowd of protesters was still present near the Ambassador Bridge on Saturday evening, media reported. Information was also received about attempts to erect new barriers at the border crossing point on the highway in Saskatchewan and Surrey, British Columbia.
For more than two weeks in Canada – first in the country’s capital Ottawathen in other cities – there are protests and barriers under the so-called Freedom Caravan. The blockade has extended to US border crossings in recent days, impeding the free movement of goods – from food to auto parts, causing, among other things, a halt to work by Canadian auto factories.
Participants are protesting the mandatory vaccination of professional drivers crossing the US border, imposed by the Canadian and US government, as well as other restrictions related to COVID-19 By order of the Canadian provincial authorities. According to the data of companies from the transport sector, about 90 percent. Canadian professional drivers are vaccinated.
The Ontario provincial government declared a state of emergency in the province on Friday, calling further obstructions to “critical infrastructure” illegal. – This is an illegal occupation, no longer a protest – said the Prime Minister on Friday Ontario Doug Ford announced high fines for violations of the law, up to 100,000 CAD fines and up to a year in prison. In addition, the government will consider the possibility of obtaining a driver’s license, including a professional driver’s license.
On Saturday, three police formations in the capital, the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP – Ontario Police) and Ottawa City Police, set up an integrated command center “in response to the escalation of the current occupation of Ottawa.” According to the press release, on Saturday, police estimated the number of protesters at 4,000. He stressed that “security concerns caused by the aggressive and illegal behavior of many protesters have limited the ability of the police to act.” The Command Center is designed to help respond to events.
protesters They also protested on Saturday in TorontoNear the county parliament. And the media reported that the group of protesters is about 1,000 people. Police closed many downtown streets ahead of the protests. Traffic returned on Saturday evening. And the media spoke of protests and truck columns in many cities, as well as demonstrations by opponents of the Freedom Convoy.
Prime Minister Trudeau announced on Friday that protesters would face severe consequences if they engaged in illegal activities, including criminal charges. He added that the government would no longer tolerate those who “take the economy hostage”.
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