After more than three weeks of demonstrations, the only engines heard around Parliament on Sunday were those of tow trucks working to remove the last remaining “Freedom Convoy” vehicles from downtown Ottawa.
The scene marked a dramatic shift from just a day or two earlier, when police and protesters engaged in tense standoffs around Parliament Hill — one side looking to end weeks of anti-mandate and anti-government protests in the nation’s capital, the other trying to extend them.
“We’ve taken back our city,” Ottawa city councillor Eli El-Chantiry, chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board, said in a media update Sunday afternoon
With the size of the protests having diminished considerably over the last few days, Ottawa police have reported at least 191 total arrests and 76 vehicles towed.
Interim police Chief Steve Bell said in a media update Sunday afternoon that of the 191 arrestees, 107 have been charged. A total of 389 charges have been laid so far, ranging from mischief and obstruction to assault of a police officer, and Bell added that there will be updates on more charges in the next few days.
Eighty-nine people were released with conditions, while the rest were released unconditionally.
The police action was a relief for many residents, who have suffered through weeks of traffic congestion, constant honking and reported harassment from some protesters.
“It’s been hell,” Chris Mockler, an Ottawa resident, told CTV National News. “It’s been an occupation and it’s been intimidating, it’s been threatening, it’s been frightening to walk out on the street.”
But while the bulk of the protestors have left, the city is still in the process of recovering from the weeks of demonstrations, and police measures have not yet eased.
Police set up about 100 checkpoints around the downtown core, allowing only those who live and work in the area or have a “lawful” reason to be there. The city is dotted with fences and barriers, as well as garbage left over from the convoy.
