Truckers and protesters against Covid-19 mandates block a border crossing and flood Canada’s capital
Downtown Ottawa remained packed with rigs and cars Monday morning as protesters rallied against Covid-19 mandates and some legislators were set to return to Parliament Hill.
In western Canada, trucks and cars have been blocking the Coutts border crossing just north of Sweet Grass, Montana, where Interstate 15 is a major commercial artery for US-Canada supply chains.
The critical route is called Highway 4 on the Canadian side.
“Traffic continues to remain immobilized in both the NB and SB directions. At this time, no motor vehicles are able to access the border for entry/re-entry,” the agency said.
Monuments allegedly damaged
Canada’s chief of defense, Gen. Wayne Eyre, said he was “sickened to see protesters dance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrate the National War Memorial.”
“The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the National War Memorial are sacred sites for Canadians,” the CTA said in a statement. “The desecration of these sites was a disgusting act and is a dishonour to those soldiers who have given their lives for our country and those Canadian soldiers who continue to fight for our freedom today.”
The CTA called Terry Fox, the late athlete and cancer research activist, a “national hero.” The alleged defacing of Fox’s monument was another insult to “the memory of one of the greatest Canadians in our history,” it said.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson called the display “completely unacceptable,” and said he’d asked for the sign and flag to be taken down.
“This kind of stunt by protesters does not help their cause,” the mayor said.
Police advised people who work in Ottawa’s downtown core to work remotely Monday.
Not over yet
Despite frigid temperatures, photos have shown supporters joining the convoy of truckers on foot or greeting them with Canadian flags on bridges and highway overpasses.
The agency estimated the financial costs of policing around the demonstrations was more than $800,000 a day.
CNN’s Dakin Andone, Keith Allen, Chris Boyette and Artemis Moshtaghian contributed to this report.
