Canadian police announced on Friday, February 18, that they had launched a major operation to unblock the streets of the capital, Ottawa, paralyzed for almost three weeks by hundreds of trucks and demonstrators opposed to the health measures taken due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
“There is a large police presence in Nicholas Street [proche du Parlement], protesters are advised to leave immediately”at tweeted the Federal Capital Police, stating that “some demonstrators surrender and are arrested”.
The House of Commons of Canada is exceptionally closed, for security reasons, announced its president, Anthony Rota. “Today’s session [vendredi] is cancelled”he said in a statement.
This is the first time since the start of this dispute, which began at the end of January, and which is taking place mainly before the federal Parliament, that parliamentary proceedings have been suspended.
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” If you are not [déjà] present in the premises of the House of Commons, stay away from the city center until further notice”further specified Mr. Rota. “If you are already within the buildings, please remain inside the building and await instructions from the officers of the Parliamentary Protective Service”he continued.
Mark Holland, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that MPs hoped “be able to resume work on Saturday”. ‘The chamber will do its job and MPs will vote early next week on the Emergency Measures Act motion’, he added. This debate began on Thursday, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made use of this provision on Monday.
This is only the second time that this provision has been used in peacetime: the first time was in 1970, when Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the father of the current Prime Minister, was in power.
On Thursday evening, Canadian police arrested two leaders of the movement. A security perimeter has been erected around downtown Ottawa and around 100 barriers are used to control entry into the area.