Ottawa: police use pepper spray and stun grenades to clear trucker protest

Canadian police on Saturday deployed pepper spray and stun grenades in a continuing effort to break up the blockade of trucks and demonstrators that has occupied downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks in a protest against pandemic protocols.

Some accounts indicated that authorities escalated crowd control efforts, with reports that police with rifles approached protesters and smashed truck windows.

The New York Times reported that police in riot gear pushed the crowd back, upsetting a table displaying spurious claims about vaccines.

Police also employed loudspeakers to warn protesters to disperse or face arrest.

The loud bangs of stun grenades were audible and onlookers witnessed people being pepper-sprayed. Police claimed demonstrators were throwing smoke canisters.

Authorities also erected barricades. The number of protesters had dropped significantly.

Many of the main protest organizers were arrested. Some reportedly left. Police, who were accused of using heavy-handed tactics, especially in deploying Mounties on horseback, claimed there were no serious injuries.