Police arrest 100 after 3 weeks of Ottawa protest

This is one of the biggest police enforcement actions in Canada’s history

The police arrested scores of demonstrators and towed away vehicles in Canada’s besieged capital, and a stream of trucks started leaving under the pressure, raising authorities’ hopes for an end to the three-week protest against the country’s Covid-19 restrictions. At least 100 people have been arrested, mostly on mischief charges, and nearly two dozen vehicles had been towed, including all of those blocking one of the city’s major streets. One officer had a minor injury, but no protesters were hurt, interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said.

Police “continue to push forward to take control of our streets,” he said, adding, “We will work day and night until this is completed.” Those arrested included four protest leaders. One received bail, while the others remained jailed. The crackdown on the self-styled Freedom Convoy began when hundreds of police, some in riot gear and some carrying automatic weapons, descended into the protest zone and started leading demonstrators away in handcuffs through the snowy streets. Tow truck operators arrived under police escort and started removing the hundreds of big rigs, and other vehicles parked shoulder-to-shoulder near Parliament. Police smashed through the door of at least one RV camper before hauling it away.

Scuffles broke out in places, and police repeatedly went nose-to-nose with the protesters and pushed the crowd back amid cries of the protestors. Later, police on horses were used to push back the crowd for a time. Police said that protesters had assaulted officers and tried to take their weapons. Some began dismantling equipment at a stage where they had played music for weeks, saying they didn’t want it to get destroyed. Many protesters stood their ground in the face of one of the biggest police enforcement actions in Canada’s history, with officers drawn from around the country.

Biden extends restrictions in US

US President Joe Biden has announced his decision to extend the state of emergency, which was declared in the country almost two years ago, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.“The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause significant risk to the public health and safety of the nation. For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, and beginning March 1, 2020, must continue in effect beyond March 1, 2022,” Biden said in a statement.

42,28,05,181
Total number of cases Worldwide as of Saturday

58,95,736
Total no. of deaths worldwide

34,75,70,369
Patients recovered worldwide as of Saturday

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