Ottawa protests: conspiracies and accusations of betrayal as police end blockade

Large parts of area in capital cleared after more than 191 are arrested and 57 vehicles are towed

• Police continue push to clear centre of capital

When thousands of protesters against Covid restrictions arrived in Ottawa last month, it would have seemed unimaginable that they would take over parts of the Canadian capital with little resistance.

To their own disbelief, the rightwing protesters soon controlled the streets outside parliament, brazenly flouting the law in the belief nothing could or would stop them.