Canada’s capital on edge as police warn of charges, arrests

Police told demonstrators camped out on the streets of Canada’s capital that they must leave or be subject to arrest under new emergency powers invoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario’s provincial government.

The warning, delivered Wednesday on flyers handed out in the protest zone near the country’s parliament, reflects a more aggressive approach by law enforcement after Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly resigned on Tuesday.

The capital remained tense on the 20th day of the protest, and there was little sign of movement among the trucks parked on the street in front of Canada’s parliament on Wednesday afternoon. At a news conference, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the protest group includes people who wish to overthrow the government.

“What we’re beginning to see emerge now are the hallmarks of a sophisticated and capable organization of a small number of individuals, but with a steel resolve driven by an extreme ideology that would seek to overthrow the existing government and create some kind of parallel structure,” Mendicino said.

Trudeau’s government invoked a law giving it emergency powers on Monday, saying the move is needed to give police extra authority and cut off money to demonstrators who’ve blocked border crossings and entrenched themselves in downtown Ottawa. The protesters are demanding an end to vaccine mandates and other Covid-19 restrictions.

Demonstrations around Ottawa’s parliamentary precinct are now prohibited by Trudeau’s order, which also instructs banks to freeze accounts and cuts off financial services to anyone who is either participating in the blockade or providing support to it.

Police officers handed out paper sheets warning demonstrators that those “blocking streets, or assisting others in blocking streets, are committing a criminal offense and you may be arrested.”

The government has also been granted power to compel towing companies to provide their services in removing heavy vehicles from the streets. Officials have said towing companies are resisting requests to help because they fear intimidation or are sympathetic to the protesters’ cause.

Trucking-company owner Len Petkau said he has four semi trucks at the Ottawa protest and accused Trudeau of overreach.

“He’s declared war on his own people, that’s how I look at it,” Petkau, owner of Manitoba-based Terrain Transport, said by phone. “There’s no terrorism there. There’s not one broken window in Ottawa.”

Petkau said he has been in the trucking business for more than 30 years and half of his 25 drivers are currently unable to cross the U.S. border due to new vaccine mandates by the Trudeau government and the Biden administration. All of Terrain Transport’s loads are hauled into the U.S., including everything from chemicals to French fries, he said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Petkau’s said his corporate accounts had not been frozen and he planned to get his trucks to leave Ottawa should enforcement happen. He blamed Trudeau, saying the prime minister has demonized demonstrators and failed to engage on a policy issue that is costing his business and staff their livelihoods.

“I am very disappointed in the man,” Petkau said Wednesday by phone. “Politically, this country is toast. It’ll be damaged for 50 years.”