After 2 days of protests, Ottawa residents are feeling the effects

Ottawa's downtown core has echoed with the sound of blaring horns and chanting crowds for two days now, and with protesters and transport trucks choking off access, many in the city are beginning to feel the effects.

The protest, concentrated in the parliamentary precinct, began rolling into the city late Friday afternoon.

Over the weekend, thousands of protestors gathered on Parliament Hill, convoys of transport trucks clogged downtown streets, and the Ottawa Police Service opened several criminal investigations into the desecration of monuments and illegal or threatening behaviour from protesters.

It began in opposition to mandatory vaccination for cross-border truckers but has since evolved to include a range of opposition to COVID-19 public health measures. It's also attracted international media attention.

WATCH | The range of goals for protestors:

Deirdre Freiheit, chief executive officer of Shepherds of Good Hope,  said the shelter's Saturday food service was disrupted by a small group of protesters who were seeking a meal and who subjected staff and volunteers to verbal harassment.

"Staff dealt with it very, very well," Freiheit said. "I think they were all upset about how it took place ... It was a difficult day for everyone."

The shelter's communications manager, Caroline Cox, said a resident was pinned up against a truck Saturday evening.

Based on an account from a security guard present at the scene, Cox said the altercation involved an individual associated with the protest.

The security guard said they were also verbally assaulted and called racial slurs during the incident, Cox said.

As of Sunday evening, Cox said transport trucks were parked outside the shelter and honking. Police were on scene, she added.

Several city facilities in the downtown will be closed Monday due to the protests, including Ottawa City Hall, the Rink of Dreams, and the Ottawa Public Library's Main and Rideau branches.

The Rideau Centre and downtown LCBOs shut their doors on the weekend for safety reasons, as did many businesses on Sparks Street just south of Parliament Hill.

Kevin McHale, executive director of the Sparks Street Business Improvement Area, said in an email he estimated that all but four Sparks Street businesses were closed on Saturday, and none remained open Sunday.