Canada warns US officials against support for truckers' 'siege'

Overwhelmed by hundreds of trucks laying "siege" to Canada's capital, Ottawa's mayor has called on federal authorities to help end the show of force against Covid restrictions which has paralysed the city for days and seen prominent US Republicans supporting the demonstrators. 

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson urged the federal government on Monday to send an additional 1,800 police officers and appoint a mediator to work with protesters to "end this siege" that has dragged on for 10 days, infuriating local residents with incessant honking and diesel fumes.

On Sunday, Watson declared a state of emergency in the capital, declaring the protests "out of control."

City police chief Peter Sloly also called for more help, saying "we have to end this demonstration, we cannot do it alone."

In a symbolic win for angry residents of the city, the Superior Court of Ontario on Monday ordered protesters to stop honking their horns.

Some locals have launched a class action against the organisers of the chaotic protest, claiming some USD$7.9 million in compensation for the disruption.

READ MORE: US groups must stop interfering in Canada protests: Ex-US envoy

Protesters willing to engage in talks 

The "Freedom Convoy" demonstrations began January 9 in western Canada as protests by truckers angry with vaccine requirements when crossing the US-Canadian border, but have morphed into broader protests against Covid-19 health restrictions and Trudeau's government.

Protest organiser Tamara Lich said on Monday that activists were willing to engage with the government to find a way out of the crisis, but insisted that pandemic restrictions be eased.

"What we're trying to do right now is reaching out to all of the federal parties so that we can arrange a sit-down," Lich said during a meeting streamed on YouTube.

"So that we can start these talks and see how we can move forward, have their mandates and the restrictions lifted, restore Canadians rights and freedoms and go home."

READ MORE: Canada's Ottawa declares emergency over 'out of control' truckers' protest

Canada pushes back against GOP support for protests

Meanwhile, Canada's public safety minister said on Monday that US officials should stay out of his country's domestic affairs, joining other Canadian leaders in pushing back against prominent Republicans who offered support for the protests.

Prominent Republicans including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton complained after crowdfunding site GoFundMe said it would refund the vast majority of the millions of dollars raised by demonstrators.

The site said it cut off funding for protest organisers after determining that their efforts violated the site's terms of service by engaging in unlawful activity. Ontario Provincial Premier Doug Ford has called the protest an occupation.

In response, Paxton tweeted: "Patriotic Texans donated to Canadian truckers' worthy cause." Texas Senaor Ted Cruz said on Fox News that the "government doesn’t have the right to force you to comply to their arbitrary mandates."

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino shot back: "It is certainly not the concern of the Texas attorney general as to how we in Canada go about our daily lives in accordance with the rule of law."

"We need to be vigilant about potential foreign interference ... Whatever statements may have been made by some foreign official are neither here nor there. We're Canadian. We have our own set of laws. We will follow them," Mendicino said.

Many members of the GOP have made comments supporting the demonstrations, including former president Donald Trump, who called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a “far-left lunatic” who has "destroyed Canada with insane Covid mandates."

"Individuals are trying to blockade our economy, our democracy, and our fellow citizens' daily lives," Trudeau said in an emergency debate in Parliament, while the protest continued outside. 

"It has to stop."