Tear gas, pepper spray. This is how the police, supported by drones and snipers, dislodged the demonstrators on Saturday 19 February in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, after 23 days of occupation. Over the weekend, 170 people were arrested in the vicinity of the Canadian Parliament. “I’ve been here for 20 days and they’ve never been this violent. It’s really exaggerated,” said a protester on TF1’s 13H, in the video at the top of this article.

The drivers of the “freedom convoy” trucks, threatened with arrest by the police, have, for the most part, left on their own. “Here, everyone is just shouting ‘Freedom’. We want a peaceful end to all this,” continued another demonstrator. As for the recalcitrant drivers, they were dislodged by the forces of order, and their trucks were towed away. The operations were tough and sometimes violent, with some injuries.

“We’re going to rest now. And in a few weeks, when it is warmer, we will gather again. There will be more of us,” said another protester. The center of the capital of Canada was cordoned off by the police, but this did not prevent, on Saturday night, the continuation of smaller gatherings, but this time, at a distance from the Canadian Parliament.