Feb 15, 2022 - World

Ottawa's police chief resigns over handling of trucker protest

Noah Garfinkel

Ottawa's police chief resigned on Tuesday as trucker-led protests blocking part of Canada's capital reached their third week, according to Canadian media reports and a city councilor.

Why it matters: Police Chief Peter Sloly has been criticized for taking a hands-off approach to the demonstrations by truck drivers who are opposed to the country's COVID-19 restrictions.

Sloly's resignation, reported by the CBC and The Globe and Mail, come a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked emergency powers to deal with the protests.

The big picture: The big picture: A loosely organized convoy of protesters started blocking Ottawa's downtown core last month in opposition to a vaccine mandate for truckers coming in from the U.S.

Demonstrations have since expanded across the country, blocking several U.S.-Canada border crossings.
The Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, reopened Sunday after police moved to clear protesters over the weekend. The blockade threatened supply chains and shut down factories in the U.S. and Canada.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show the vaccine mandate is for truckers coming in from the U.S., it is not a U.S. mandate.

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Ottawa's police chief resigns over handling of trucker protest

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