Police vow around-the-clock action this weekend to end occupation
'We will run this operation 24 hours a day,' says interim Ottawa chief
Police plan to work around the clock to remove protesters still occupying Ottawa's downtown, following a day in which dozens were arrested and trucks began to roll out of the city — much to the relief of weary residents.
More than 100 protesters were arrested Friday, including several prominent organizers, as part of efforts to finally bring an end to the three-week occupation that's paralyzed a good chunk of Ottawa's core.
Since the truck convoy rolled into town, residents have been subjected to noisy parties, fireworks and choking diesel fumes. There's been outrage over the open display of hate symbols, while some say they've been subjected to racial, homophobic and transphobic slurs.
The incessant honking, meanwhile, sparked a $9.8-million class action that led to an injunction banning truckers from blaring their horns in the vicinity of downtown Ottawa.
"I woke up at six o'clock this morning thinking, 'Are those horns?'" said Ann Heathcote, one of several downtown residents who were relieved police had moved in Friday but also perplexed by the seeming lack of urgency.
"They're in my head, and they've just been in my head for three weeks — whether they were there or not."
'This should have happened weeks ago'
Some key arrests were made before dawn Friday, before the push involving officers with Ottawa police, the OPP, the RCMP and other forces from across Canada truly got underway.
Early in the afternoon, protesters near the National War Memorial tried to frustrate the approaching police units by building a wall of snow.
As officers tried to corral them and remove children from the occupation site, one man danced shirtless in front of police near the Château Laurier. At one point, officers smashed the window of one truck to pull the occupant out and arrest him. At another, a hot tub that had gone up on Wellington Street — a brazen act that had become a flashpoint for Ottawans' frustrations — was deflated.
Police created a secure box-shaped area at the corner of Mackenzie Ave and Rideau Street. They moved north along Sussex Street, pushing a thin crowd of protesters back toward the ByWard Market. As tensions rose, officers mounted on horses arrived late in the afternoon.
One horse was hit by a bicycle thrown by a protester, Ottawa police said. Other demonstrators tried to assault and disarm officers, they added.
Despite the uneasy atmosphere, police appeared to be "exercising a lot of restraint," said Joao Velloso, a law professor at the University of Ottawa.
"They are not moving in and throwing tear gas on everybody. They're moving slowly, doing one at arrest at a time, giving [people] the opportunity to leave," said Velloso.
"This is not the general approach of anti-riot police. Definitely the presence of the press, the eyes of the world [on Ottawa], has an impact on that."
Many of the protesters filmed their interactions with police, with some alleging on social media that officers had used excessive force.
As night fell, Ottawa police continued to warn demonstrators on social media that anyone inside the protest zone could face arrest.
"To see that there's a plan — a detailed, meticulous plan being carried out so meticulously — I'm so relieved," said Coun. Carol Anne Meehan, who resigned from the city's police board after a tumultuous 48 hours that saw the police chief quit and the board chair ousted.
"Because this should have happened weeks ago, quite frankly."
How long will it take?
With enforcement now underway, there's a new question on many people's minds: just how long will it take before police clear the downtown?
"You're looking at a good 48 to 72 hours," said Pierre-Yves Bourduas, a former deputy RCMP commissioner, on CBC's Power and Politics late Friday afternoon.
"It's a monumental task. They're progressing ... according to plan. They obviously have all the resources in order to advance toward the centre of this occupation in front of Parliament. But there [was] — over the past hour — a lot of pushback from the protesters."
Steve Bell, Ottawa's interim police chief, said at a Friday afternoon news conference that the force would do what it could to return the nation's capital to a state of normalcy.
But for the Family Day weekend, LRT service through the downtown core is slated to remain offline. Streets will likely stay closed. The roughly 100 police checkpoints spanning the area between Bronson Avenue, Highway 417, Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal — all designed to keep people from joining the protest — shouldn't be going anywhere.
"Ottawa's a welcoming and diverse city. It's a city we're all proud of," said Bell, who declined to say Friday how many protesters remained.
"We're focused on returning our city to the place that we all know and love. We will run this operation 24 hours a day until the residents and community have their entire city back."
With files from Raffi Boudjikanian, Peter Zimonjic and Avanthika Anand