Second day of protests seizes Ottawa, police investigating 'desecration' incidents

Ottawa is weathering the second day of the trucker convoy’s rally against vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, as the nation’s capital remains nearly impassible due to protesters' vehicles.

Ottawa Police said on Twitter that “several” criminal investigations are underway in relation to acts described by police as “desecration” to several monuments in the capital as well as “threatening/illegal/intimidating behaviour to police/city workers and other individuals and damage to a city vehicle.”

Police urged the public to report any incidents directly to the authorities.

A few Ottawa streets remain closed with police working to lift areas of gridlock for residents and businesses, while some of the protesters' actions from Saturday have dominated social media and public discussion. 

Protesters who jumped on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were unilaterally condemned by top defence officials, with Defence Minister Anita Anand calling their behaviour “beyond reprehensible.”