OTTAWA, 08 February 2022, (TON): Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency to help deal with an unprecedented 10-day occupation by protesting truckers that has blocked much of the centre of the Canadian capital.

Watson said in a statement “this reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government.”

Watson, who complained earlier in the day that the demonstrators outnumbered police and were in control of the situation, did not give details of what measures he might impose.

The protesters, who first reached the capital on January 29, have parked their trucks on city streets and put up tents and temporary shacks, paralysing the capital.

The self-styled freedom truck convoy began as protests by truck drivers angry with vaccine requirements for crossing the US-Canada border, but have evolved into broader protests against COVID-19 health restrictions and the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The truckers’ protest has attracted support from many Republicans south of the border, including former President Donald Trump, and found financial support through GoFundMe. “Canada-US relations used to be mainly about solving technical issues.