With hundreds of vehicles swarming Canada’s capital, forcing it into a state of indefinite gridlock over COVID-19 restrictions, the mayor of Ottawa has declared a state of emergency. Mayor Jim Watson said Sunday afternoon that the situation has spun “completely out of control.” Watson did not elaborate on what measures he might yet impose. The unprecedented 10-day occupation by the “Freedom Convoy” began as a protest by cross-border truckers against Canada’s vaccine requirement but has since spiraled into a broader and increasingly riotous rallying point, with Watson saying demonstrations now pose a “serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents,” whose nerves are “frayed beyond belief.” Local authorities have issued more than 450 tickets to protesters since Saturday, according to Bloomberg, to little avail. Ottawa’s police chief previously called it a “nationwide insurrection driven by madness,” saying the city was under siege. Police said Sunday they had counted at least 500 vehicles still blocking the “red zone” of the city. “Clearly, we’re outnumbered and we’re losing this battle right now,” Watson said. “This has to be reversed. We have to get our city back.”
