Ottawa police to convoy protesters: ‘ You must leave the area now’

Ottawa Police are issuing formal notices to Freedom Convoy protesters that it's time to leave, warning of arrests and vehicle seizures. "You must leave the area now," the police service said in a notice posted Wednesday morning, as officers delivered the message from truck to truck. "Anyone blocking streets, or assisting others in the blocking streets, are committing a criminal offence and you may be arrested. You must immediately cease further unlawful activity or you will face charges."

Police are warning that charges and convictions linked to the demonstrations may also see protesters denied entry into the U.S.

Freedom Convoy protests were initially established after Canada and the U.S. introduced vaccine mandates for unvaccinated truck drivers, but quickly expanded to include demands against a wide array of pandemic-related measures. "The Federal Emergencies Act allows for the regulation or prohibition of travel to, from or within any specified area. This means that anyone coming to Ottawa for the purpose of joining the ongoing demonstration is breaking the law," Ottawa Police added. "The act also provides police with a number of measures including the ability to seize vehicles that are part of this demonstration."

It's not the first time that police have warned about potential criminal charges, but it comes as the federal government introduces the Emergencies Act to bring an end to the protests. Ontario has also introduced penalties for interfering with critical infrastructure, such as fines up to £100,000, up to a year in prison, and suspended or revoked licences. With the Emergencies Act, the federal government has introduced powers to compel tow truck operators to clear blockades, freeze protester bank accounts, suspend insurance coverage, and apply terrorist financing rules to crowdfunding companies that have supported the protests.

GoFundMe has already frozen about £10 million in donations, citing policies against violence and harassment. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has cleared the way for the provincial government to freeze millions of dollars through a Christian platform known as GiveSendGo. But the latter platform has said the government has no jurisdiction over it.

Hundreds of vehicles continue to occupy an area of Ottawa that has come to be known as the red zone.

But border blockades have been dismantled in locations such as Coutts, Alberta; Surrey, B.C.; and Windsor, Ont.