After trucks and activists besieged the downtown centre of Ottawa for more than three weeks to protest pandemic restrictions, Canadian police used pepper spray and stun grenades on Saturday to try to restore normalcy to the capital.

Police moved rapidly Saturday morning to dismantle the major stretch of the roadblock in front of parliament and the prime minister’s office, making further arrests after removing a portion of the blockade and making more than 100 arrests on Friday.

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“We told you to leave. We gave you time to leave. We were slow and methodical, yet you were assaultive and aggressive with officers and the horses,” a message released on Twitter by the police to the drivers said.

“Based on your behaviour, we are responding by including helmets and batons for our safety.” Police also utilised loud speakers to tell the gathering that if they did not disperse, they would be arrested.

The sound of stun grenades could be heard, and several people were pepper-sprayed, according to Reuters witnesses. According to authorities, protesters were throwing smoke canisters.

Also read: Truckers clogging streets in Ottawa to hold their ground despite threats of crackdown

As the police cordon reached their location, many enormous trucks that had been parked in front of parliament for weeks drove away.

Police smashed vehicle windows to make arrests again on Saturday, but the overall number of demonstrators has decreased considerably compared to previous days, and many vehicles have already left.

Many of the primary organisers have been apprehended, while others have reportedly fled. Police, who were accused by the demonstrators of being too harsh, especially when sending in Mounties on horseback, stated no significant injuries had occurred.

“We hear your concern for people on the ground after the horses dispersed a crowd. Anyone who fell got up and walked away. We’re unaware of any injuries,” police said on Twitter.

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The blockage began as a protest against cross-border COVID-19 vaccine regulations for truck drivers, but it has since evolved into a protest against the government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“This is our final stand … When it ends, it ends and it’s in God’s hands,” said Jeremy Glass, a protester from Shelburne, Ontario. “At the end of this, we all need to get back to unity and get rid of this division.”

Trudeau used emergency powers on Monday to give his government more authority to put an end to the protests. The House of Commons was scheduled to consider such interim powers on Friday, but the session was called off due to police activity.

“Our demands aren’t ridiculous. We want mandates and lockdowns dropped,” according to a truck driver from Manitoba who only went by the name Gord, he is no longer able to work due to cross-border immunisation obligations.

Following the increase in protest gatherings over the previous three weekends, police set up 100 roadblocks around the city core on Friday to deny protesters entry and prevent food and gasoline from entering. On Friday, police said they towed 21 automobiles.