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Trucker 'protest has to stop': Canada's Trudeau takes hard stand against demonstration
Thousands of truckers have gathered in the capital city of Ottawa since the last week of January, calling for an end to Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
Amid paralysing trucker protest in Canada, prime minister Justin Trudeau on Monday said that the demonstration needs to stop as it is disrupting the country's economy. Taking a hard stand against the truckers who have been protesting in Ottawa against the Covid-19 vaccine mandate, Trudeau said it must come to an end.
The Canadian prime minister was speaking in Parliament when he made the comments. "Individuals are trying to blockade our economy, our democracy and our fellow citizens' daily lives, it has to stop," he said during the speech.
Speaking further, Trudeau said, "People of Ottawa don't deserve to be harassed in their own neighborhoods. They don't deserve to be confronted with the inherent violence of a swastika flying on a street corner or Confederate flag." He was referring to images from the initial days of the protest two weekends ago showing signs and flags adorned with Nazi symbols.
"This is a story of a country that got through this pandemic by being united, and the few people shouting and waving swastikas does not define who Canadians are,” Trudeau also said.
Thousands of truckers have gathered in the capital city of Ottawa since the last week of January. The demonstration had started as a protest against a vaccine requirement for cross-border drivers, but developed into a demonstration against the Trudeau government with a strong anti-vaccination streak.
So far, police have not been able to contain the demonstrations. The constant honking has been silenced after an order by an Ontario judge on Monday. Ottawa, meanwhile, has declared a state of emergency. The protesters say they won’t leave until all Covid health restrictions are dropped.
(With agency inputs)
