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Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The capital of Canada has declared a state of emergency after a number of truck drivers staged a rally over the weekend against COVID-19 mandates that pushed tensions between protesters, police and residents to a boiling point. Ottawa police reached out to federal and provincial authorities to step in after they were overwhelmed by the number of demonstrators who essentially took over the central city for two consecutive weekends.
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Mayor Jim Watson declared the emergency and authorities said the truckers and other protesters involved in the rallies, called the "Freedom Convoy," have become a danger to the public.
"They are terrorizing our residents, torturing them with incessant honking, threatening them and preventing them from leading their lives," Ottawa Police board chairwoman Diane Deans said, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
The protests were initially against COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckers, but have since expanded to oppose various mandates connected to the pandemic. The truckers have clogged traffic and shut down businesses in Ottawa and across Canada.
Protest organizers have said they intend to stay in the city until the Canadian government lifts all restrictions and mandates, even though most have been ordered by individual provinces.
Police said on Sunday that they have received more than 600 calls since the start of the protests, resulting in about 100 criminal investigations. Armed police officers started confiscating fuel that protesters were using to keep their engines running.
The social media hashtag #CanadianTruckers, particularly on Twitter, helped protesters post videos and photos of crowds throughout Ottawa that took on a carnival atmosphere. Some show lines of trucks and authorities taking over demonstrator camps.
