Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says that he has reached an agreement with the leadership of the “Freedom Convoy” to remove trucks from residential neighborhoods this week.
“We have made a plan to consolidate our protest efforts around Parliament Hill,” “Freedom Convoy” president Tamara Lich said in a letter to Watson, adding that the “Freedom Convoy” board agrees with the request to alleviate pressure on residential areas and that organizers are currently working to get the truckers to “buy-in.”
“The Freedom Convoy Board agree with your request to reduce pressure on the residents and businesses in the City of Ottawa,” Lich wrote. “We have made a plan to consolidate our protest efforts around Parliament Hill. We will be working hard over the next 24 hours to get buy in from the truckers. We hope to start repositioning our trucks on Monday.”
That’s a good move. Polling shows the truckers are losing support over the interference with business and residents going about their lives. It’s hurting Trudeau even more.
Watson had written to Lich saying that residents are “exhausted and on edge” and that the blockades are “teetering on the brink of permanent closure” for some businesses.
“I don’t believe these harmful effects on our community and its residents were the intended consequences of your protest,” Watson wrote.
Watson said that he wants to see “clear evidence” that trucks are being moved from residential streets by Monday. If they do, he will meet with the convoy organizers.
They have to remove the trucks from residential areas, not backfill residential areas already occupied, and not go to other residential areas.
It’s unclear where they can go or if they will but that’s the deal.
There are somewhere between 8,000 and 36,000 trucks in Ottawa depending on who you believe.
Today was the 17th day of the protest.
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