Covid protests on streets of Ottawa again

Motorcycles rumbled through the streets of Canada’s capital city Ottawa while a strong police presence kept a close eye on rallies during the Rolling Thunder protest.

Many of the protesters involved in a morning service at the National War Memorial and a later rally on Parliament Hill were also involved in the Freedom Convoy that shut down the city centre for weeks in February.

Police made a handful of arrests, including a driver who allegedly tried to jump on to a pavement to get around officers. They were held for dangerous driving and found in breach of bail conditions related to the previous protest, when they were ordered not to return to Ottawa.

More than 560 tickets have been handed out for parking violations, smoking, noise and encumbering a highway, and 39 vehicles towed away since Friday.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the National War Memorial.

Speakers expressed their opposition to vaccine mandates, Covid-19 restrictions and prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government.

Supporters were asked to remove slogans with expletives aimed at the prime minister for the event.

A small group of counterprotesters gathered across the street from the memorial chanting “go home” at the protesters.

Police formed a line in between the two groups to keep the peace.

At the end of the service, the crowd marched down Elgin Street to greet a convoy of around 150 motorcycles on a route outlined by police.

Ottawa police called in more than 800 reinforcements from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other services who blocked off highway exits and every street into the centre to prevent a new encampment from forming.

POLICE PRESENCE: Motorcycle police pass one of the demonstrations in Ottawa.

Protesters march in the Rolling Thunder demonstrations.