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Legacy Media Report !
Police retake Wellington Street amid hard push against 'Freedom Convoy' occupation

Police have moved protesters off of Wellington Street in front of Parliament as part of an aggressive push to remove the 'Freedom Convoy' demonstration that has occupied Ottawa streets for three weeks.

Police said just before 1 p.m. they had made 47 arrests. There were more than 100 arrests on Friday. Since the operation began Friday, police say 38 vehicles have been towed.

Armed with batons and wearing helmets, and using a "chemical irritant" at times, police moved quickly Saturday morning to push a line of protesters back from near the Chateau Laurier hotel on Wellington Street. By 11 a.m., the police line had moved the protesters onto O'Connor Street. Images showed two lines of officers on either side of Wellington Street near O'Connor, retaking the central hub of the occupation on Parliament Hill.

The operation began at around 9:15 a.m., as a line of officers moved out of the Chateau Laurier hotel and began to push the protest line back.

Live video from the scene showed smoke in the crowd at times as police and protesters clashed. Ottawa police claimed the smoke did not come from officers. Police claimed protesters have been launching gas canisters at officers. Police later said they arrested protesters wearing body armour, who allegedly had smoke grenades and fireworks on them. Other smoke grenades and fireworks were allegedly found in a vehicle. Protesters have set off fireworks regularly at night through the last three weeks.

In a statement, convoy organizers said they asked truckers to move from Parliament Hill to avoid what they call “further brutality” at the hands of police, but they acknowledge moving the trucks will take time.

“This has been communicated with Ottawa police and we hope they will show judicious restrain(sic).”

Police claimed one officer had suffered a minor injury during the day Friday, but they said no one had been seriously injured or killed. Police alleged someone threw a bicycle at a horse, tripping it, but the horse was not hurt.

The statement from convoy organizers came several minutes after police had moved to push protesters off of Wellington Street.

Senior police sources tell CTV News Ottawa's Graham Richardson they expect to "break the back" of the ongoing occupation that has paralyzed downtown Ottawa.

Sources say the financial penalties allowed under the use of the federal Emergencies Act are also being applied and are, in some cases, affecting family members of those involved in the illegal protest in Ottawa.

"PROTESTORS: We told you to leave. We gave you time to leave. We were slow and methodical, yet you were assaultive and aggressive with officers and the horses. Based on your behaviour, we are responding by including helmets and batons for our safety," police tweeted.

There are 60 vehicles remaining in the occupation zone, according to CTV's Mackenzie Gray.The intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive is significantly changed. Many vehicles had remained parked there for weeks, but as of Saturday morning, the intersection was under control of police.

Senior police sources tell CTV News Ottawa the lack of serious injuries is a testament to the restraint and patience of police on the front line. They say each location requires a different approach. Actions taken near the University of Ottawa, for example, differ in scope from those taken at Rideau and Sussex.