Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister has demanded an end to the protest by hundreds of truckers against Covid-19 restrictions that has paralyzed the capital. This comes as local authorities call for federal support.

The “Freedom Convoy” and their supporters arrived in Ottawa late in January to decry an order required of truckers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to cross Canada’s land border with the United States.

Can Justin Trudeau stop the protest?

Justin Trudeau, in an emergency meeting in the House of Commons after returning to the parliament after isolating for a week due to a positive Covid-19 test, stated, “It has to stop.”

“This pandemic has sucked for all Canadians but Canadians know the way to get through, it is continuing to listen to science, continuing to lean on each other,” he said.

Justin Trudeau pledged federal government support “with whatever resources the province and city need,” without presenting what measures might be planned.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson had earlier persuaded the federal government to send an additional 1,800 police officers and appoint a mediator to work with protesters to “end this siege” that has enraged local residents with constant honking and diesel fumes.

One hopes the government will work something out soon to put an end to the ongoing crisis.

“Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of southern Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core of the Ottawa–Gatineau census metropolitan area (CMA) and the National Capital Region (NCR). As of 2016, Ottawa had a city population of 934,243 and a metropolitan population of 1,476,008, making it the fourth-largest city and fifth-largest CMA in Canada. In June 2019, the City of Ottawa estimated it had surpassed a population of one million.

Founded in 1826 as Bytown, and incorporated as Ottawa in 1855, the city has evolved into the political center of Canada. Its original boundaries were expanded through numerous annexations and were ultimately replaced by a new city incorporation and amalgamation in 2001 which significantly increased its land area.

Ottawa has the most educated population among Canadian cities and is home to a number of colleges and universities, research and cultural institutions, including the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, the National Arts Centre, the National Gallery of Canada, and numerous national museums”. This section is culled from WIKIPEDIA.