Ottawa police say two men connected to the ongoing anti-COVID-19 restriction demonstrations have been arrested and face criminal charges, while the crowd of truckers and other protesters continues to thin out.
Police said Tuesday that Matthew Dorken, 29, has been charged with mischief under $5,000 for an incident that occurred on Saturday involving “mischief to property.” A statement from the Ottawa Police Service says Dorken was not arrested at the time of the incident “in order to avoid a larger confrontation.” A second man connected to the protest, 37-year-old Andre Lacasse, was charged with carrying a weapon to a public meeting on Sunday, police said. Read more: ‘We won’t give in’ Trudeau says as trucker convoy protest continues A convoy of truckers and their supporters protesting COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine mandates, descended on Ottawa Friday evening and have staged a multi-day protest on the streets surrounding Parliament Hill.
Some of the protesters desecrated the National War Memorial and other statues downtown, while a local shelter, the Shepherds of Good Hope, confirmed some convoy protesters harassed and pressured their workers over the weekend for food.
There were also reports of Nazi and Confederate flags at the protests, among other hateful symbols. Ottawa police said “some progression” has been made in the investigation into the War Monument’s desecration.