Police clamp down on Ottawa protesters

(19 Feb 2022) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4366902 Police pushed back protesters on Saturday after arresting more than 100 and towing away vehicles in Canada’s besieged capital, and scores of trucks left under the pressure, raising authorities’ hopes for an end to the three-week protest against the country’s COVID-19 restrictions. Police in tactical gear quickly gained ground Saturday on the second full day of one of the biggest police enforcement actions in Canada’s history, with officers drawn from around the country. Authorities towed trucks overnight in the areas police had already taken in Ottawa's downtown core. Authorities advanced to the front of the prime minister's office and almost in front of Parliament Hill which has been occupied by trucks and protesters since late last month. Some used pepper spray. The crackdown on the self-styled Freedom Convoy began Friday morning, when hundreds of police, some in riot gear and some carrying automatic weapons, descended into the protest zone and began leading demonstrators away in handcuffs through the snowy streets as holdout truckers blared their horns. The capital and its paralyzed streets represented the movement’s last stronghold after weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S. and created one of the most serious tests yet for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They also shook Canada’s reputation for civility, with some blaming America’s influence. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   #Ottawa #Police #Protesters #Truck You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...