Freedom Convoy arrests continue in Canada; Vivek Murthy tests positive
Hundreds of Canadian police swept through the country’s capital Saturday, arresting protesters and clearing out vehicles in an attempt to bring an end to a three-week protest against COVID-19 restrictions.
Over 100 people were arrested Friday and Saturday, after police began the crackdown of the so-called Freedom Convoy on Friday morning. Officers, some in riot gear, approached the protest zone and scuffles broke out in some areas as police, including some officers on horses, pushed the crowd back.
Protesters were gone from the street in front of Parliament Hill by Saturday morning. Police said on Twitter that protesters were “aggressive and assaultive” throughout their attempts to clear the area, and pepper spray was used to disperse them. They also said children had been brought to the front of the police line.
“The presence of children and youth within or near the zone is highly concerning,” The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa said.
Interim Police Chief Steve Bell said at a press conference Saturday that 47 additional people were arrested Saturday. The operation to clear the protesters is “not over,” Bell said.
“Go home. If you don’t go home, we will remove you from the streets,” Bell told remaining protesters during the press conference.
The demonstrations in the capital are the last stronghold of a movement that for weeks disrupted trade between the U.S. and Canada by shutting down the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor. The border crossing reopened earlier this week.
“Police holding the line have issued a warning from a loudspeaker for demonstrators to move back. As a result, we have seen people move back and give the police more room,” Ottawa Police tweeted Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, U.S. Capitol Police officials are considering reinstalling a fence around the Capitol ahead of a planned trucker protest against COVID-19 restrictions next month in Washington, D.C. In a Friday statement, Capitol Police said they were working closely with the Secret Service and other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to prepare for the possible protests.
Also in the news:
►Los Angeles County Unified School District is ending its outdoor masking requirement starting next week, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho tweeted Friday.
►Masks will be optional on all Indiana University campuses starting March 4, officials announced Friday.
►The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported Friday that the number of patients in intensive care with COVID-19 fell below 150 patients for the first time since August 2021.
►Country artist Willie Nelson has canceled eight concerts in Nashville, New Orleans, Fort Worth and San Antonio in March and April because of COVID-19 concerns, but some upcoming Austin-area appearances are still on.
►The Navajo Nation is maintaining a mask mandate to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, even as the last of the states that surround the reservation dropped the requirement.
📈Today’s numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 78.3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 933,700 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 421.2 million cases and…
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