Mayor says province, feds 'have not stepped up' to end Ottawa occupation
CTV
Mayor Jim Watson is accusing the federal and Ontario governments of not stepping up with additional resources as the demonstration against COVID-19 mandates reaches its 17th day.
However, Watson is hopeful more police officers will arrive in Ottawa within the next 24 to 48 hours to assist the Ottawa Police Service in ending the occupation of downtown streets.
Hundreds of vehicles remain parked on Wellington Street and other roads, as people call for an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other public health measures. Sunday morning, counter-protesters blocked several downtown streets to prevent the "Blue Collar Convoy" from arriving in downtown Ottawa to support the "Freedom Convoy" demonstrators.
Appearing on CTV's Question Period, Watson said "control was lost a week or so ago" in downtown Ottawa, and its gotten worse this weekend.
"We sent a request to the federal and provincial governments for 1,800 officers that we need now to bring control and order to the city, and unfortunately both other orders of government have not stepped up to the plate like we'd like them too," Watson said.
