Ottawa police moved to cut off fuel supplies to the "Freedom Convoy" protesters who occupied downtown Ottawa, hours after Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing protest.
Dozens of armed police officers and firefighters moved to a parking lot at the Ottawa Baseball Stadium on Coventry Road just before 7 p.m.

On Sunday, people on social media said officers were confiscating fuel stored on site.

The police also said that the stadium, located five kilometers from the Parliament building, had been turned into a launch area for the protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other public health measures.

The police also stated that several people were arrested downtown on charges of harm for transporting fuel to the protesters.

Vice President Steve Bell also told CTV News that this is the next step in enforcement to deal with the ongoing downtown protest.

Bell said: "Look at how we limit the entry and exit of things from the protest zone."

He added, "We really focused and targeted removing access to gasoline in the area and have faced many attacks and many related arrests."

It is noteworthy that on Sunday afternoon, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency in response to the 10-day protest that closed Wellington Street and other streets around the Parliament building.

A statement issued by the city said, "The declaration of a state of emergency reflects the serious risk and threat to the safety and security of residents due to the ongoing protests and highlights the need to support judicial authorities and other levels of government."