‘Carnival of chaos’: Ottawa police face growing flak for failure to end protests

Failure to prevent protests initially, and to rid the city of the trucks over three weeks have baffled and angered residents

Police in Ottawa have warned they will begin breaking up blockades that have gridlocked traffic, angered residents and plunged Canada's capital into a crisis that has rippled throughout the country.

For 20 days, protesters and large semi-trucks have blockaded sections of downtown Ottawa, including Parliament Hill, the seat of the country's government. The protests, which began as a demonstration against public health measures including vaccine mandates, have morphed into a broader anti-government movement as more fringe elements, including far-right and nationalist groups, became a growing presence.