Note: This live blog has now been archived.
Police in Ottawa started a crackdown to end the so-called “Freedom Convoy” that has taken over the city’s downtown for the last three weeks.
Not only were two protest organizers, Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, arrested Thursday evening, Friday’s Emergencies Act debate in the House of Commons was also cancelled due to safety concerns.
The debate will begin again Saturday and continue into Sunday and Monday, with a vote scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday — the same time set before a day of debate was lost.
Ottawa police said Friday that over 100 arrests have been made and 21 vehicles have been towed.
Nevertheless, a tense standoff continued between protesters and police, with mounted police charging at one point and colliding with demonstrators.
Police said there were no serious injuries and a person was arrested for intentionally harming a police service animal after allegedly throwing a bicycle at the feet of one of the horses.
Police have also created around 100 checkpoints in the downtown area to ensure only those who live or work in the core can enter.
At a press conference Thursday, Ottawa’s interim police chief, Steve Bell, says this weekend the downtown will look “very different” from the past three.
“We want people to peacefully leave but I’ll tell you if they do not peacefully leave we have plans, strategies and tactics to get them to leave,” he said.
Global News covered Friday’s events in the blog below, which has now been archived.
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