A 78-year-old man was arrested in Ottawa allegedly for honking his horn in support of the trucker convoy protesting COVID-19 rules in Canada.
Bystanders filmed the scene as officers detained Gerry Charlebois, a great-grandfather, and shouted down onlookers who argued the Sunday arrest was unfair, according to Daily Mail.
The publication said Mr. Charlebois received injuries to his arms, hands, shoulders and knees and was fined $118 for “unnecessary noise” but not criminally charged.
An Ontario Superior Court Justice temporarily banned honking for 10 days on Monday as residents complain of loud noises and disruptions to their daily lives from the convoy, which has been camped out in the Canadian capital for 12 days.
The protest started as a demonstration against vaccine rules on truckers but has broadened into a general protest of COVID-19 measures.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is trying to balance his response to critics who say he’s been too heavy-handed in dealing with the pandemic with resolving the Ottawa crisis on behalf of those who’ve complained about the disruption.
The prime minister told Parliament that the protests must “stop” and characterized the protesters as a “small, fringe minority.”
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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