Escuche esta historia
--:--
2:51
Anti-vaccine truckers protest evicted in Canada's capital
The images of the agents have gone around the world
After more than a month of demonstrations and obstructions in the center of the capital, the police dispersed the protesters with pepper spray, stun bombs and batons.
Many of the truck drivers and other anti-vaccine protesters were forcibly evicted by Ottawa police after more than three weeks of blocking the Canadian city center.
The images of the agents have gone around the world, where violent struggles can be seen between hundreds of protesters and police officers, some of whom were on horseback.
Demonstrators who showed resistance were thrown to the ground and handcuffed from behind. After two days of police offensive, 38 trucks have been seized and almost 200 people have been arrested.
The Ottawa authorities assured this Sunday that the operation is still ongoing and they have no completion date.
Steve Bell, acting chief of the Ottawa police, assured that some protesters went from Parliament Hill (epicenter of the protest) to some nearby neighborhoods and explained that these areas will also be dispersed.
Through the social network Twitter, the police confirmed that the use of tear gas on the protesters is an effort to reduce the aggressive behavior of those present and to protect the physical integrity of the officers.
The start of the operation
This police operation to clear anti-vaccine demonstrations is the largest in Canadian history.
The police advance against the "Freedom Convoy" began Friday morning when hundreds of police officers approached the protesters' encampment in downtown Ottawa.
Most of the protesters refused to leave, forming a line in front of the approaching police officers. Then, linked arms, they sang the Canadian national anthem.
The Ottawa Police Department said some of those arrested were wearing bulletproof vests, fireworks and smoke grenades. Some of those arrested are accused of throwing gas canisters at officers.
Ottawa authorities criticized the protesters for bringing children to an illegal demonstration, something that in Canada can result in a large fine or even five years in prison.
On the other hand, the police indicated that the investigations into these demonstrations will continue during the coming weeks.
On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Juntin Trudeau activated the Emergencies Law, on which the police were based to act and disperse the protesters.
This law grants the Canadian government "extraordinary powers" to seize trucks and prosecute citizens who have traveled to Ottawa just to join the demonstration, in addition to withdrawing driver's licenses and imposing fines.
These protests began in January, when a caravan of trucks moved to Ottawa to demonstrate against the compulsory vaccination decree to cross the border between Canada and the United States.
As the days passed, it mutated into a demonstration that opposed all the restrictive measures against COVID-19 and the government of Justin Trudeau.
