Ottawa police say there's a 'significant' U.S. presence at Canadian anti-mandate protest

A protester in Ottawa screams.
(Image credit: Alex Kent/Getty Images)

Anti–vaccine mandate protesters in Ottawa received some help from their neighbors to the south, the Ottawa police chief said Wednesday, with a "significant element" from the U.S. involved with funding and planning the event.

Thousands of people descended on Ottawa Friday to demonstrate against Canada's efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, including vaccine mandates and mask wearing. Many came in their big rigs, specifically protesting the rule that truck drivers who cross the border must be fully vaccinated. The Canadian Trucking Alliance says a vast majority of its members are fully vaccinated and insists several people at the protest over the weekend "do not have a connection to the trucking industry."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.