Ottawa Police Arrest Convoy Organizer, Protesters in Thursday Crackdown

Ottawa police arrested multiple protesters with the “Freedom Convoy” on Thursday, including a key organizer of the movement that’s been rallying for weeks to pressure the Canadian government to drop the vaccine mandate for cross-border travel.

Authorities have taken Chris Barber, one of the leaders of the demonstration and a truck driver from Saskatchewan, into custody, CBC News reported. He is expected to face criminal charges. A video obtained by the outlet appears to depict Barber being placed in handcuffs and escorted away by police. Barber is also the target of a class-action lawsuit, along with fellow convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Benjamin Dichter, launched by a local resident who complained that the massive gathering was disrupting the community.

City law-enforcement officers arrested several other participants Thursday, according to CTV News.