Canadian police appear to end protest in Ottawa

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Hundreds of police in riot gear have swept through Canada’s capital, retaking control of the streets around the Parliament buildings and appearing to end the siege of Ottawa after three weeks of protests. Protesters, angry over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions and policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, retreated from the largest police operation in the country’s history, with police arresting or driving out demonstrators and towing away their trucks.  Police had been brought in from across the country to help in the clearance operation, officials said. Some 170 people were arrested Friday and Saturday and multiple investigations had been launched because of weapons seizures.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Police aggressively pushed back protesters, took over trucks and advanced toward Parliament after arresting more than 100 and towing away vehicles in Canada’s besieged capital. Scores of the trucks left under the pressure, raising authorities’ hopes for an end to the three-week protest against the country’s COVID-19 restrictions. Police in tactical gear quickly gained ground Saturday against demonstrators who are facing of one of the biggest police enforcement actions in Canada’s history, with officers drawn from around the country. By Friday evening, at least 100 people had 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

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Police in Canada say they have made dozens of arrests and progress in clearing out truckers who have paralyzed Ottawa for three weeks in a protest against the country’s COVID-19 restrictions. Hundreds of police moved into the capital’s downtown Friday morning and began taking protesters into custody and towing away big rigs blocking the streets. Many truckers left on their own. Interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell says police are in control of the situation on the ground and are continuing to push forward to take control the streets. He says they will work around the clock until that happens.