Twelve days after the vaccination protests first swept the Canadian capital, authorities could do nothing but wait for the protesters to return home.
Law enforcement has increased its readiness to contain the “Freedom Caravan” by issuing fines and more arrests.
Police try to contain the unrest as truck drivers continue to gather in Ottawa
But downtown Ottawa’s narrow streets are still littered with trucks and other vehicles whose drivers are calling for the Corona to be scrapped.
Police admit that they do not need to end the protests. Protest organizers have said they will continue to protest “as long as necessary”.
Desperate locals are calling for more action against participants in the Freedom Caravan. But it is not clear what actions are possible in principle.
Tow trucks
Protesters’ resistance has left local transport companies at a difficult crossroads.
Heavy-duty trucks known as “destructive” can help clear the streets by towing trucks, but a truck driver named Doug Roland says many of the drivers of these tow trucks may be reluctant to get involved for political or operational reasons.
“Many drivers of tow trucks basically consider themselves truck drivers,” he said.
Tow truck and truck drivers need the same trucking licenses, so there is a lot of overlap between the two businesses.
Mr Roland – who did not take part in the protests – is both a truck driver and a tow truck driver. According to him, even large or medium-sized tow companies may have a maximum of five tow trucks, bought at exorbitant prices, from $ 300,000 to $ 1 million, and refrain from getting involved in an incident that could damage these vehicles.
The large number of vehicles involved in the protests is causing more logistical problems.
A tow truck is required to transport each truck. It takes an hour to connect the two, assuming the driver is ready to work.
“If the truck driver does not cooperate, it will probably take another 15 minutes or half an hour for the tow truck driver to get into the driver’s cab,” Mr Roland said.
He, who is a professional mechanic, says that perhaps such an operation would require the release of all trailer manual brakes one by one. This means releasing the 18-wheel brakes one by one.
If the driver depresses the brake pedal, then it may be necessary to disconnect the brake air pipe.
Mr. Roland further hypothesized that “if the driver is on the road, for example lying on the ground in front of his truck, the situation will come to a standstill and it may take from 10 minutes to 10 hours to resolve it.”
In Alberta, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said last week that they may be towing trucks blocking Highway 4 between Canada and the US border.
A local police spokesman told the BBC he had not yet towed any vehicles after Canadian media reported that local heavy-duty towing companies were reluctant to take part in such an operation.
Deprive protesters of cash and fuel
Canada is not accustomed to widespread, protracted protests.
Christine Loperst, a security expert at Queens University and the Royal Military College in Ontario, says that may be why the Ottawa police apparently underestimated the organization and funding behind the program.
Protesters gathered in Parliament Hill downtown through the GoFundMe website, which organizes fundraisers for various social activities, raising more than C $ 10 million to support the protests.
Mr Luperst says the page’s success shows that donors from outside Canada donated to the movement.
“There are many non-governmental organizations in the country that, despite administrative agencies and professionals in the field of fundraising, can not raise this amount of money even in one year,” he said. “Whether or not this aid was involved.”
In recent days, government officials have tried to make it more difficult by seizing protesters’ gas cans and gas cylinders and relocating their gathering place from the Confederation Park to a location 5 km away.
Mr. Luperst notes that, unlike Ottawa, other cities have taken precautionary measures. For example, they have drawn and implemented certain red lines to protect the sensitive points of the society.
Officials say he may hope that the truckers – most of whom are thought to be unpaid and get paid for each trip – will eventually end the protest when they are tired and have run out of money, but until then, no further action is possible.
Help from the army?
Police described the remaining protesters in place as a small motivated group.
But municipal officials have described them more harshly as occupiers and insurgents.
The clash has led to speculation that troops may be used for operations inside Canada.
This has only happened twice in the last century.
Last Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected a request to use the military.
“You have to be very, very careful in using the military in situations that involve them with Canadian citizens,” he warned.
Negotiate for compromise
Some Canadians are calling for police intervention to end the protests, but Ottawa Police Chief Peter Slowley has said the city police have no legal authority or authority to do so.
In a letter to lawmakers on Monday, he called for more help, including the deployment of 1,800 police officers and administrative staff.
“He has made it clear that whatever you want to criticize him for as chief of police, neither the law nor the financial resources of the police are designed for such a protest,” Mr Luperst, a security expert, told the BBC.
On Sunday, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency in the city, one of the few legal tools that could increase the chances of restoring order.
The city police force now relies on auxiliary police forces, cavalry and Ontario state police. The state police is the largest police force in the region and has carried out similar missions in the past, including during protests with the occupation of Indigenous lands.
But if the police use their additional personnel and resources as part of a strong response to end the protest, it may spark more protests and disturbances.
“Protests can be dealt with and dismantled, but such an approach is against Canadian political culture. When people protest, our usual approach is to wait and try to end it through negotiation and compromise,” Mr Luperst said. “