Heavily-Armed Ottawa Police Arrest At Least 70 ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protesters, Will Run “24 Hours A Day” To Clear City

Watch the latest live feeds from citizen journalists. 

ER: Viva Frei is a Canadian lawyer and worth listening to —

Frei makes the critical point that once a govt declares the Emergencies Act, the decision must then be ratified / voted on by both the House of Commons and the Senate. The measures deemed to be appropriate under the E.A. have to be tabled first and debated. That debate was supposed to happen yesterday, Friday Feb 18. If the E.A. is struck down by either the Commons or Senate, all this is for nothing. But the debate DIDN’T HAPPEN, it got suspended (we believe Parliament was closed on some pretext). So, first the measures are implemented BEFORE elected representatives get to have their say. As Frei says, it was exactly the same with the health measures: implement them first, and keep implementing them without debate. Some of the E.A. measures are to close down people’s bank accounts (Frei hasn’t actually seen evidence of this) and to close down one of the most peaceful protests ever. With no vote.

Or… Watch the latest live feeds from mainstream corporate media.

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Update (1615ET): During a Friday afternoon press conference, Interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell told reporters that Ottawa police have made at least 70 arrests (including high profile organizers Tamara Lich, Chris Barber and Pat King) and towed at least 21 vehicles.

Bell said the plan to move in on protesters “methodical” and well thought out, noting officers had control of the situation on the ground.

“We will run this operation 24 hours a day until the residents and community have their city back,” Bell said.

Officers from across Ontario and Quebec, as well as the RCMP, have joined Ottawa police in a bid to end the protests.

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Update (1435ET): On Friday morning, Ottawa Police Service began arresting “Freedom Convoy” protesters in the downtown district.

There are disturbing reports some officers wielded military-style weapons as they closed in on the three-week-long demonstration.

Twitter users report police officers (or maybe even special ops) outfitted in full combat gear with assault rifles equipped with silencers approached unarmed protesters.

One Twitter user reports “snipers are on the roof” of multiple buildings.

There are reports protesters are “holding the line” as police begin mass arrests.

Police were spotted in armored tactical trucks.

Even mounted police were called in.

Every American watching the events unfolding in Ottawa should be very afraid because Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has chosen to unleash what looks like the military on unarmed civilians who are only asking for their freedoms back after being taken away during COVID.

Keep in mind, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association has condemned Trudeau for invoking the Emergencies Act.

Trudeau is now creating a political emergency.

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Update (0943ET): AP News reports police have begun arresting protesters at the trucker demonstration in Ottawa’s downtown district.

CTV News Ottawa’s Graham Richardson says there’s a “beefed-up police presence.”

Images circulating on Twitter show police vans (commonly known as “paddy wagons”) have assembled as arrests are being reported.

The government doesn’t want the world to see what’s happening in downtown Ottawa.

Government checkpoints in Ottawa.

Here’s a live feed of downtown Ottawa.

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Days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to crack down on protesters nationwide, Canadian police are preparing to clear hundreds of truck drivers from Ottawa, according to Reuters.

‘Freedom Convoy’ demonstrators against the government’s medical tyranny have staged a three-week-long protest of Ottawa’s downtown district that prompted Trudeau on Monday to invoke the Emergencies Act to crack down on what he has described as an attack on democracy.

On Thursday evening, police began moving in on the downtown district, arresting protesters. We noted two key organizers were arrested, including Tamara Lich and Chris Barber. The two have been described as top leaders in the movement. Authorities are expected to unleash a wave of arrests on Friday.

“We absolutely are committed to end this unlawful demonstration. We have the plan, we have the commitment, we have the resources,” interim police chief Steve Bell told reporters on Thursday. To quell future protests at least 100 checkpoints will be erected in the downtown district. Anyone who doesn’t have a legitimate reason for entering the area will be barred.

“This weekend will look very different than the past three weekends,” Bell added. 

Many of the truckers in the Freedom Convoy aren’t moving.

“I’m prepared to sit on my ass and watch them hit me with pepper spray,” Pat King, one of the leaders of the movement, told AP News.

“There are no tow trucks in Canada that will touch them.”

Amid the rising tensions outside Parliament, many demonstrators still refused to budge, and the use of federal emergencies law will give police the tools to end the occupation.

Some Canadians are outraged their government would even enact such powers (not seen in fifty years) on what has been described as ‘peaceful protests,’ However, the Trudeau administration sees things a little differently, calling truckers “fringe” and treating them as so-called ‘terrorists.’

Meanwhile, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association has announced its intention to sue the federal government for invoking the Emergencies Act in response, the CBC reports.

It remains to be seen if today’s move to end the capital’s blockade will go smoothly. Trudeau’s use of emergency powers has already prohibited travel, banned protests, conducted widespread arrests, blocked donations, and frozen bank accounts of truckers and their supporters. People are getting angry, and there are even fears of a possible bank run.

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