[Wang Xiaoxiong, a special correspondent of Global Times in Canada, Yunshan, a special correspondent of Global Times] A large number of trucks are parked on the street to block traffic, harsh horns are coming and going day and night, and thousands of drivers are ready to "set up camp" to carry out the demonstration to the end — — On the 7th, the "Freedom Caravan" protest (pictured) that paralyzed Ottawa, the capital of Canada, entered its tenth day. Worried that the situation may be completely out of control, Ottawa Mayor Watson announced on the 6th that the city has entered a state of emergency. This protest, which has spread to many places in Canada, was originally against the government’s compulsory vaccination order, and then gradually evolved into a condemnation of the government’s epidemic prevention measures, and some people called for a coup to overthrow the Trudeau government. Just when the Canadian government and people were overwhelmed, some American politicians joined the "melee" and expressed their solidarity with the protesters. Some people compare the Ottawa protest with the American people’s "occupation of Congress" at the beginning of last year. CNN posted on Monday that Americans who support the protests in Canada may hope that "the revolution can blossom in frozen Canada".
The capital entered a state of emergency.
"The downtown of Ottawa is out of control". According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and other media reports, Deanes, chairman of the Ottawa Police Service Committee, said that the city has been "surrounded" by truck fleets. The director of the Ottawa Police Department bluntly said that Ottawa lacked police force and available resources, and this demonstration was "surrounded" that the police could not cope with. Watson issued a statement on the 6th, declaring Ottawa a state of emergency. He said that the number of protesters exceeded that of the police, and the demonstrations posed a serious threat to the safety of citizens. Watson said that Ottawa needs other judicial means and government support. After declaring the city into a state of emergency, the Ottawa municipal government can gain more power to better cope with the protests.
In mid-January, the Trudeau government required truck drivers travelling between Canada and the United States to show COVID-19 vaccination certificates when entering Canada. Some drivers expressed strong dissatisfaction with this and organized the motorcade to drive to Ottawa. From January 29th, a protest called "Freedom Caravan" started in Ottawa and spread to many cities. The US political news network and other media said on the 7th that some people indicated that they would carry out the demonstration to the end until the government cancelled all compulsory orders for vaccines.
An Ottawa resident told the Global Times reporter on Monday that the "freedom motorcade" protested against splitting the local people. As the protests have caused serious interference to people’s lives, some people began to organize demonstrations against the "free motorcade" protests on the 6 th, while others provided gasoline and food for the protesters. According to some media, the "freedom motorcade" protested that drivers set up temporary kitchens and logistics centers in a park and parking lot in downtown Ottawa. Protesters also turned the demonstration into a party and set off fireworks from time to time to celebrate.
On the 6th, after Watson declared a state of emergency in Ottawa, the local police searched the above parks and parking lots and arrested some illegal protesters. Ottawa police also announced that it is forbidden for people to provide fuel and other materials to protesters, and those who violate the regulations will be arrested.
American politicians interfere in Canada’s internal affairs
Ottawa police said that there are American forces providing funds and other support for Canadian protesters. The US-based company "GoFundMe" had previously raised tens of millions of Canadian dollars for the "Freedom Team" protest. However, the company shut down the fund-raising website for the protest on the grounds that the fund-raising activity violated the regulations, and announced that it would return the money raised to the donors.
Florida Governor De Santis and other Republican lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with this move of "GoFundMe" and claimed that they would investigate the company. Former US President Trump and Tesla CEO Musk also expressed their solidarity with the Canadian protesters. According to the British "Guardian" report, former US Ambassador to Canada Hyman urged American groups to stop interfering in the internal affairs of neighboring countries.
Trudeau faces a thorny problem
Some Canadian analysts told the Global Times reporter on the 7th that the "freedom motorcade" protest has become a "position" in Canada’s domestic political struggle. Authour, the former leader of the Canadian opposition Conservative Party, was forced to step down last week because he did not express his support to the protesters in time.
Many Ottawa citizens called on Trudeau to take action to deal with the protests, including asking the armed forces to intervene. However, the prime minister said that the army would not be used to disperse the protesters. The Trudeau family has been moved to a secret location. Some analysts said that it is difficult for the Trudeau government to satisfactorily solve the protest problem: if the motorcade is forcibly dispersed, it will violate the rights of the people; If the protests are allowed to develop freely, it may shake the ruling position of the government, while the opposition party will take the opportunity to attack the ruling party.