Who are the 'freedom convoy' truckers in Ottawa and what are they protesting about?
A state of emergency has been declared in Ottawa as thousands of Covid anti-vax protestors, including hundreds of lorry drivers, descend on Canada's capital.
The “freedom truck convoy” has brought the city to a standstill and, funded by US-based far right groups, is growing in size.
What are the demonstrators protesting about? How are the demonstrations affecting the city and what measures are being brought in to manage the situation?
Who are the protestors and what are they angry about?
Thousands of protesters descended on Ottawa again at the weekend, joining a hundred who have remained since last weekend demonstrating against Covid-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates.
A surge of the highly contagious Omicron variant has led to record cases and lockdowns in Ontario and Quebec, Canada’s most populous provinces.
There are also vaccine mandates imposed by the provincial governments.
Lockdowns are slowly lifting in Quebec - restaurants reopened on Monday with 50% capacity, while Quebec’s premier, Francois Legault, announced on Tuesday he is abandoning his threat to tax the unvaccinated, saying the proposal has divided Quebecers.
The most visible contingent of protesters were truck drivers, many protesting a rule that took effect January 15 that requires all drivers entering Canada to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
These protest trucks have been barricading roads and honking horns in the city almost non-stop for over a week. A number have carried signs and flags with swastikas last weekend and compared vaccine mandates to fascism. Many of the demonstrators refused to wear masks in hotels, malls and grocery stores.
Despite many of the measures being brought in by provincial governments, they are also calling for the removal of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's government.
How are the protests affecting the city?
Residents of Ottawa are furious at the non-stop blaring of horns, traffic disruption and harassment and fear no end is in sight after the police chief called it a “siege” that he could not manage.
Many Canadians have been outraged over the behaviour of the demonstrators. Some protesters set fireworks off on the grounds of the National War Memorial late on Friday. Some urinated or parked on the National War Memorial. One danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier while a number carried signs and flags with swastikas.
Mayor Jim Watson called the action an “absolute disgrace,” and said residents have been harassed by protesters and businesses have been forced to close.
Who is supporting the protestors?
A “significant element” of the protest’s funding and organisation is coming from the United States with the “freedom truck convoy” attracting support from many US Republicans including former president Donald Trump, who called Mr Trudeau a “far left lunatic” who has “destroyed Canada with insane Covid mandates”.
A GoFundMe page set up to fund the truckers has been disbanded, and the crowdfunding site said it would refund or redirect to charities the vast majority of the millions raised by demonstrators protesting in the Canadian capital.
Organisers, including one who has espoused white supremacist views, had raised millions for the cross-country “freedom truck convoy” against vaccine mandates and other restrictions.
The site said it cut off funding for the organisers because it had determined the effort violated the site’s terms of service due to unlawful activity.
What are the authorities in Ottawa doing in response?
A state of emergency was declared on Sunday which gives the city some additional powers around procurement and how it delivers services, which could help purchase equipment required by frontline workers and first responders.
Last week, 150 extra police officers were deployed to the areas of Ottawa most affected by the protest against Covid-19 mandates.
Meanwhile, a former US ambassador to Canada said groups in the US must stop interfering in the domestic affairs of America’s neighbour.