Ottawa Police Chief Resigns Amid Trucker Protests, Reports Say

TORONTO (Sputnik) – Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly has resigned amid ongoing protests of truckers and ordinary citizens against COVID-19 restrictions, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday citing sources.

Sloly decided to step down following an Ottawa Police Services Board meeting earlier in the day, the report said.

The wave of protests across Canada began in mid-January, with thousands of truckers and other demonstrators converging upon Ottawa to express strong opposition to vaccine mandates for truckers crossing the US-Canada border.

The so-called 'Freedom Convoy' protest has since evolved into an anti-government demonstration, with various groups uniting in opposition of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, leading to blockades of several critical arteries, such as land border crossings between the United States and Canada, most notably the Ambassador Bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

Earlier in the day it was reported that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invoked a previously unused emergency law to grant his government additional powers in response to the protests.

"The federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations," Trudeau told a news conference in Ottawa on Monday.

The Prime Minister vowed that the measures would be "time-limited, geographically targeted, reasonable and proportionate to threats they are meant to address," however, was short on details about the scope of the emergency powers. At least two provincial premiers demanded that the measures apply only in requesting jurisdictions.

The declaration will remain in force for 30 days, effective immediately, according to Justice Minister David Lametti.