UPDATE: Police presence ‘fully stretched’ in downtown Ottawa for second day of demonstrations

Ottawa police say their resources are stretched thin during the second day of demonstrations against government-imposed vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions.

Residents of the National Capital Region are once again being advised to avoid travelling to the downtown core, as a demonstration of trucks and cars continue to protest.

On Saturday, January 29, thousands of protesters gathered near the Parliament Hill area to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Truck traffic clogged streets surrounding Parliament Hill making many streets downtown impassable to vehicles, Ottawa Police Services (OPS) said.

That downtown presence continued on Sunday, January 30. Police say the their focus remains on managing traffic issues, keeping peace and order, protecting monuments and addressing threatening behaviour.

“This work is resource intensive, and police resources are fully stretched and fully engaged,” OPS said in a release.

“Police and City staff are very aware of the complaints relating to parking, idling, noisemaking and other inappropriate behaviour. At this time, due to safety concerns, management of the protest and traffic must take precedence.”

Police say their focus will shift toward moving vehicles and crowds out of the downtown area as the weekend wraps up.

“Police have already begun working to facilitate the departure of individuals who are wanting to leave the area.”

A number of downtown streets remained closed on Sunday and police said they were working to mitigate the impacts of the gridlock on residents and downtown businesses.

The Rideau Centre announced it would be closed again on Sunday due to the demonstrations. Certain LCBO branches were also closed, as well as the Main and Rideau branches of Ottawa Public Library.

Overnight, officers encountered “several challenges” with demonstrators that included road blockages by trucks, which police say, they were able to clear.

OPS said in a release that these, “high-risk situations were de-escalated and resolved with no arrests.”

After an incident where the Terry Fox statue was vandalized police vowed to protect all national monuments downtown. Barricades were also installed to block vehicles from parking in front of the National War Memorial.

It’s not clear when the convoy of vehicles plans to end their park-in protest. Some protesters have vowed not to move until all their demands are met. 

— with files from The Canadian Press