Canada’s Covid protests highlight rise of rightwing populist movements

Stores and vaccine clinics remain closed in Ottawa as protesters refuse to leave while federal Conservative leader faces criticism

Days of protests against pandemic policies and a deep rift within Canada's conservative movement have highlighted the growing power of rightwing populist movements in the country.

On Tuesday, retail stores and vaccine clinics in Ottawa remained closed as protesters, who had travelled to the nation's capital under the guise of protesting vaccine mandates for truckers, refused to leave.