Ottawa police chief resigns, another ‘freedom convoy’ blockade broken up

In a statement that can be found on his Twitter account, Peter Sloly announced he has “stepped down as chief of the Ottawa Police Service.” The resignation comes amid criticism for Sloly’s handling of the so-called “freedom convoy” protests that have now persisted in the Canadian capital for over two weeks.

“Since the onset of this demonstration, I have done everything possible to keep this city safe and put an end to this unprecedented and unforeseeable crisis. We have acquired new resources and enforcement tools, and stood up the new Intergrated Command Center,” Sloly said in his resignation statement. “I am confident the Ottawa Police Service is now better positioned to end this occupation.”

Ottawa’s police board said 360 vehicles remained involved in the blockade in the city. That’s down from a high of roughly 4,000.

“We are here peacefully with lots of love, and we’re going to hold the line, so we’re not going nowhere until we get these mandates taken care of,” Ottawa protester Wayne Narvey said Tuesday. “And no matter how much they try to bully us, we are resilient.”

The last part of Narvey’s statement is likely a reference to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoking the Emergencies Act to try to end Freedom Convoy protests. Trudeau defended the decision in Parliament Tuesday to the dismay of his Conservative colleagues. The video above includes clips from parliament, as well as reaction from protesters.

“The situation requires additional tools not held by other federal, provincial or territorial law. It’s what responsible leadership requires,” Trudeau said to Parliament.

“The prime minister thinks that now is the time to use this extreme measure and invoke the Emergencies Act,” Opposition Leader Candice Bergen said. “Isn’t it true that the prime minister’s actions could serve to actually make things worse and not make things better?”

While it hasn’t initially worked to clear the Ottawa protest, the Emergencies Act did seem to have an effect in Alberta. Trucks filed out of the border town of Coutts Tuesday, ending a “freedom convoy” that disrupted travel to and from Montana for two weeks.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there was only one border crossing obstructed by protesters, located between Emerson, Manitoba and North Dakota. Canadian authorities said they were confident the protesters there would would be gone by Wednesday.