By , NBC News
The mayor of Canada’s capital declared a state of emergency Sunday to deal with an unprecedented protest that has seen truckers shut down Ottawa’s core for more than a week over Covid-19 rules.
Dubbed the “Freedom Convoy,” the demonstration has seen hundreds of truckers block city streets, blaring their horns and disrupting traffic. But the protest has also drawn backlash over alleged harassment as well as the presence of Confederate flags and flags bearing swastikas.
While the protest began in opposition to vaccination mandates for truckers crossing the U.S.-Canada border, it quickly evolved into a rallying point for opposition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government and the coronavirus measures it has imposed. And it has drawn support from U.S. Republicans, too.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said in a statement Sunday that the demonstration posed a “serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents.”
Watson said the city needed “support from other jurisdictions and levels of government” to help respond.
