Ottawa’s police chief says policing alone might not solve the ongoing “occupation” of the city’s downtown core that has lasted for nearly a week, and the Canadian Armed Forces may need to be brought in.
“This is a national issue, not an Ottawa issue,” Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly said Wednesday (Feb. 2) afternoon, adding that police are aware of significant funding and participation in protest from United States.
Will Canada release their own Military on Peaceful, Law abiding Canadians that are protesting for freedom?
— 🇨🇦𝐈𝐀𝐍🇨🇦 (@IANFREE613) February 2, 2022
Are they declaring war on their own people and the 54% of Canadians that support what the Protesters are doing? https://t.co/7Yh1pLPcGU
People across Canada have brought their frustrations with government response to the COVID-19 pandemic to the nation’s capital.
The risks will increase the longer the protest persists, Sloly said, but clearing protesters out of the city comes with its own risks. Additionally, there are similar protests happening across the country and across the world, he said.