Canada anti-vaccine protests: Justin Trudeau says military response not on cards

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a military response to the ongoing Ottawa protest against Covid-19 measures is “not in the cards right now.''

Trudeau's comment came after Ottawa police Chief said this week that all options are on the table, including calling in the military, to end the ongoing demonstration. The protests have been called an “occupation” by some government officials.

Thousands of protesters railing against vaccine mandates and other Covid-19 restrictions descended on the capital last weekend, deliberately blocking traffic around Parliament Hill. A few hundred continue to protest.

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Trudeau on Thursday said one must be “very, very cautious” about deploying troops on Canadian soil, adding there has been no such request to the federal government. He said any formal requests for assistance from the City of Ottawa or Ontario will be considered.

Organizers, including those who espoused white supremacist views, had raised millions for the cross-country “freedom truck convoy” against vaccine mandates and other restrictions.