The Canadian police intensified their operations yesterday, Saturday, and evacuated most areas of the capital Ottawa from protesters in the Freedom Convoy opposing the COVID restrictions, thus ending a disruption that lasted more than three weeks, which was described as illegal amid the declaration of an unprecedented state of emergency.

The Washington Post said that the protests opened a new chapter among far-right and anti-mandate movements related to the COVID pandemic inside and outside Canada, while causing a shake-up in Canadian policies and raising many questions about law enforcement, and why it took so long to clear the streets in the Canadian capital.

The protesters draped in Canadian flags acknowledged that the end of the protest was near yesterday, Saturday, even as some stood for the last time, but many told the Washington Post that they plan to regroup or join anti-government demonstrations in the future.

The protesters shouted in front of the police who were forcing them to retreat, saying, “We will win.”

The interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell warned of future consequences, saying that those who participated in this protest will have their identities identified and will be pursued with financial penalties and criminal charges.

The Canadian police said they had arrested 170 protesters by yesterday afternoon, Saturday, but confrontations continued in freezing cold and icy conditions, while law enforcement officers moved to disperse the demonstrators, and trucks were pulled away after parts of the city were paralyzed including the Parliament building and the Canadian government headquarters.

As the number of protesters dwindled, it appeared that law enforcement officers armed with batons and rifles, some on horseback, advanced faster and more forcefully than the previous day when a drone hovered overhead. Although tensions remained somewhat constrained, they were high, as the protesters facing hefty fines or imprisonment continued to gather along the remaining front lines, with some bringing children and dogs.