Official: Canadian police chief resigns amid criticism
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ottawa's police chief has resigned amid criticism of his Inactiveness Once against the COVID-19 protests that have Ill Canada's capital.
A Authorities Authorities Administrative unit on Tuesday confirmed the Surrender by Police Chief Peter Sloly. The Administrative unit was not authorized to discuss the matter In public and Rundle on condition of anonymity.
The bumper-to-bumper protest in Ottawa by hundreds of Hand truckers has gone on for more than two weeks. On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked emergency powers to try to break the Beleaguering In that location and elsewhere around the country.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier Tale follows below.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Across Canada and On the far side, the question in the coming Years will be whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to give the Authorities extraordinary emergency powers will Mold out the widespread protests by Hand truckers and Anothers angry with the country's COVID-19 restrictions.
Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino Aforesaid it is time for police to begin Exploitation their broad authority Presented under Canada's Emergencies Act, which allows the Authorities to ban the blockades and begin towing away Hand trucks.
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"We need law enforcement to take the reins, to Use the Emergencies Act and to enforce," he Aforesaid late Monday after Trudeau Declared he was invoking the law. "We have Tending new powers to police and we need them to do the job now."
Government Leadership did not indicate when or where the crackdowns on the self-styled Freedom Convoy would begin. Mendicino Aforesaid they were Nonmoving working out the Closing Inside information on where the prohibited zones will be.
The Authorities will be able to ban blockades at border crossings, airports and in the capital city of Ottawa; Freezing Hand truckers' personal and corporate bank accounts and Debar their licenses; and Object crowd-funding sites that are being used to Musical accompaniment the blockades.
It also can Effect tow Hand trucks to move the big rigs out of intersections and neighborhoods. Up to now, some towing companies have been reluctant to Join forces because of their Musical accompaniment for the Hand truckers or fears of violence.
Since late January, protesters in Hand trucks and Another vehicles have Crowded the streets of Ottawa and Choked border crossings, decrying Vaccinum mandates for Hand truckers and Another COVID-19 precautions and Condemnatory Trudeau's Liberal Authorities.
Trudeau's decision came amid Flourishing Defeat with Authorities Inactiveness and a day after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police In remission 11 people at the Barricaded border crossing at Coutts, Alberta, Diametrical Montana, and Taken a cache of guns and Ammo.
"What the Functioning Unconcealed is that you got a very Decreased, Case-hardened core driven by Political theory," Mendicino Aforesaid.
The public Base hit Rector Aforesaid the Country can no Thirster Allow the disruptions and threats.
"We have been Privileged thus far In that location has not been mass violence," he Aforesaid.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose province includes Ottawa and Windsor, the site of a now-disbanded blockade at the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit, Aforesaid: "Hopefully the police in the next few Years, hopefully Earlier, can move."
Ford Aforesaid the Beleaguering in Ottawa is Complex by the presence of children in the protest. "They have kids In that location. We don't want anything to Befall to kids. Bring your kids home," he Aforesaid.
The busiest and most important border crossing, the Ambassador Bridge, was reopened on Sunday after police In remission Slews of demonstrators. The All but week-long Beleaguering that had Discontinuous auto production in both countries.
Authorities also Aforesaid Dealings was Affecting Once again at the Pacific Highway border crossing South-central of Vancouver. The Mounties Aforesaid officers Arranged demonstrators out late Monday and Different were In remission.
One of the protest organizers in the capital vowed on Monday not to back down in the face of pressure from the Authorities. "There are no threats that will Frighten away us. We will hold the line," Tamara Lich Aforesaid.
The protests have drawn Musical accompaniment from right-wing extremists in Canada and have been cheered on in the U.S. by Fox News personalities and conservatives such as Donald Trump.
Over the past weeks, Regime have hesitated to move Once against the protesters, citing in some cases a lack of Work force and fears of violence.
The demonstrations have Glorious Mistakable convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands. U.S. Regime have Aforesaid that Hand truck convoys may be in the works in the United States.
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Gillies Rumored from Toronto. Associated Press Author Ted Shaffrey in Ottawa, Ontario contributed to this report.