Thousands of people descended on Canada's capital Saturday to protest vaccine mandates for truck drivers and other public health restrictions, and Prime Minister Trudeau and his family were moved to a secret location.
Trudeau was relocated over security concerns earlier in the day, but the protests remained peaceful as of Saturday evening, with no charges brought against any demonstrators, police said.
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After a week of driving across Canada, trucks began arriving on Friday. The Freedom Convoy began as a protest against the COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Canada imposed a mandate on January 15 that requires proof of vaccinations for truck drivers to cross the border. When they return from the US, drivers without a vaccine are required to take a COVID-19 test.
The US imposed a similar mandate on January 22.
Grace Kay reported that the mandates could cause supply shortages and price increases in both countries. Trudeau said at the press conference that the majority of Canadian truck drivers were already up to date on their vaccinations.
The best way to prevent supply chain disruptions is to make sure that everyone gets vaccine, as almost 90 percent of Canadian truck drivers are already protected.
Since the convoy began, the protest has evolved to include other groups and people who are not truckers who oppose a variety of public health measures and government overreach. On Saturday, big rigs and people on foot filled the streets around Canada's parliament as police monitored the crowds.
Csava Vizi, a truck driver who said he was the primary provider for his family, said from inside his truck outside parliament that he was not able to work anymore because he could not cross the border.
A resident of the capital city carried a sign that said "I am ashamed to be a Canadian", because they were sick of the vaccine mandates and the lockdowns.
Despite security concerns in the days before the protest, Reuter reported the scene was peaceful and mostly cold.
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