Ottawa’s Police Chief Resigns Over Handling of “Freedom Convoy 2022” Trucker Protest

Police Chief Peter Sloly has been criticized for taking a hands-off approach to the demonstrations by truck drivers who are opposed to the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.

• Sloly’s resignation, reported by the CBC and The Globe and Mail, come a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked emergency powers to deal with the protests.

A loosely organized convoy of protesters started blocking Ottawa’s downtown core last month in opposition to a U.S. vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers.

• Demonstrations have since expanded across the country, blocking several U.S.-Canada border crossings.
• The Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, reopened Sunday after police moved to clear protesters over the weekend. The blockade threatened supply chains and shut down factories in the U.S. and Canada.