Late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, who has been charged with seditious conspiracy for his role in planning the 1/6 insurrection, must remain in jail while awaiting trial. Mehta concurred with a federal magistrate judge's order that Rhodes be denied bail because poses a "clear and present danger" to the community.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that up in Ottawa, "Twenty-two days after a trucker convoy rumbled into Canada’s capital to protest pandemic restrictions, hundreds of police officers in downtown Ottawa moved in to arrest protesters Friday, hoping to end weeks of gridlock that have roiled the city, infuriated local residents and shaken the country. After a night of unusually heavy snowfall, rows of police officers in fluorescent jackets edged steadily toward protesters on Parliament Hill, backed by at least two armored vehicles and tactical officers armed with rifles and wearing helmets. By late afternoon, protesters were clashing with police officers in front of Canada’s Senate building. The Ottawa police said that some demonstrators had assaulted officers and had tried to remove their weapons. The police deployed crowd-dispersal spray against demonstrators, and officers on horseback were forcing the crowd back, leading to a rush of people trying to flee in a flood of panic."
Several heavy tow trucks whose license plates had been removed and whose company names were covered with Ottawa police stickers were towing protesters’ trucks away. The police said 21 vehicles had been towed.
The Ottawa Police Service said that as of Friday afternoon, 70 people [Later AP reported over 100 had been arrested] had been arrested on various charges, including “mischief,” a serious offense under Canada’s criminal law, which can carry a prison term of up to 10 years.
Among those arrested on Thursday night was Tamara Lich, a leading activist, fund-raiser and singer who in the past has advocated the secession of Canada’s western provinces. She has become one of the main voices of the protest movement.
The police mobilization comes after mounting criticism that law enforcement personnel have moved too slowly to end the protests, permitting protesters to taunt local residents for wearing masks, honk their horns in quiet residential neighborhoods and undermine local businesses.
Law enforcement officers have created a perimeter with about 100 checkpoints in Ottawa’s downtown core to keep anyone but residents from entering.
...As pop music played from a truck parked in front of the Canada’s Senate building, police officers surrounded the small offshoot encampment on both sides. At one point, "Let’s Get it On" by Marvin Gaye echoed through the streets.
In olive green riot gear, the police cleared a line through the trucks, having already removed demonstrators from a number of the vehicles. On the other side of the knot of trucks, roughly 40 police officers in red-knit caps began to march down Rideau Street, in Ottawa’s city center, joining others on another side and filling out their ranks with more officers as trucks revved their engines.
In front of Parliament, many members of the main protest group dashed over to watch the slow-moving advance of police officers toward an intersection blocked by other demonstrators and trucks to the east. Protesters swiftly retreated as officers, half a block away, stepped forward.
At least 3 of the leaders-- Tamara Lich, Chris Barber and Pat King (live on social media)-- have been arrested and thrown in jail. Over 20 trucks have been towed away. Reports last night all emphasized that despite a few "scuffles," there had been almost no violence on either side. Ottawa's interim Police Chief Steve Bell said one officer had a minor injury, but no protesters were hurt.
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