Thousands protest COVID mandates and restrictions in Ottawa

Thousands of protesters gathered in Canada’s capital to protest vaccine mandates, masks and lock-downs.

The sounds of honking horns echoed around Ottawa’s downtown core. A convoy of trucks and cars parked in around Parliament Hill, with some parking on the grounds of the National War Memorial before police asked them to move.

New rules in both the U.S. and Canada require truckers crossing the border to be vaccinated.

The week-long convoy has evolved into a broader protest of COVID restrictions. Trucking industry leaders have distanced themselves from the protest.

About 85% of Canadian truckers are vaccinated.

The convoy of truckers and others prompted police to prepare for the possibility of violence and the government to warn against escalating rhetoric linked to the demonstration.

A top Parliament security official advised lawmakers to lock their doors amid reports their private homes may be targeted.