Canada’s public safety minister said Monday that US officials should stay out of his country’s domestic affairs, joining other Canadian leaders in pushing back against prominent Republicans who offered support for the protests of Covid-19 mandates that have besieged downtown Ottawa for more than a week .

A day after the city declared a state of emergency, the mayor pleaded for almost 2,000 extra police officers to help quell the raucous nightly demonstrations staged by the so-called Freedom Truck Convoy, which has used hundreds of parked trucks to paralyze the Canadian capital’s business district. The protests have also infuriated people who live around downtown, including neighborhoods near Parliament Hill, the seat of the federal government.

Embattled Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly called the demonstration an “unprecedented protest never seen in Canada” and acknowledged that authorities failed to plan for it to last more than three days.

Protesters opposed to vaccine mandates and Covid-19 restrictions held rallies in cities across Canada on Saturday in a show of solidarity with a week-long demonstration in the national capital.

Officials in Ottawa and numerous provincial capitals worked to ensure that escalating protests against pandemic-related public health measures remained peaceful Saturday.

By midday Saturday in Ottawa, thousands of demonstrators mingled near open fires on the snow-plastered lawn in front of Parliament Hill. Participants roasted hotdogs and doled out baked goods under tarps, while two men on horseback traipsed through the town, one carrying a flag in support of former US president Donald Trump

Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has announced it is freezing millions of dollars raised in support of anti-vaxxer truckers in Canada and will instead refund donors in full, citing police reports of violence as the reason behind its decision.

Joe Sommerlad reports for The Independent.

claims that simpsons “predicted” the Canada truckers convoy protest have been debunked.

The latest news event which fans claim to have previously featured on The Simpsons involves current protests occurring in Canada.

Anchorage Daily News reports that more than 100 Alaska truck drivers rallied from Anchorage to Eagle River on Sunday to support Canadian truck drivers opposed to Covid-19 vaccine mandates.

Anchorage Assembly member Jamie Allard organized the event to support the truckers who have rallied in Ottawa since last weekend. Since January 15, truck drivers and other essential service providers are allowed to enter Canada only if they are fully vaccinated. The US required vaccinations from essential non-resident travelers on 22 January.

The participants Sunday – including truckers and drivers in personal vehicles – filled the Cabela’s parking lot in South Anchorage before 1 pm and started driving to their final destination, the Eagle River Lions Club, after 1:30 pm. Another convoy drove to Eagle River from the Mat-Su.

In the midst of the trucker protest two men were caught on camera attempting to light a building on fire by burning a package of firelighters in the lobby at 5am.

One of the men also taped the door shut to stop anyone getting in or out. According to a tenant in the building one of the men said they were connected to the convoy protests.

After they set the fire and left, a passer-by saw the flames and managed to open the door and put out the fire.

Ottawa Councilor Catherine McKenney wants the city to ask the federal government to take over control of the Parliamentary precinct.

She tweets that their motion for dealing with the occupation asks the federal government to take over policing responsibility of the Parliamentary Precinct so that local services prioritize residents.

They are still going loud and they’re very loud.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Marco Mendicino, minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, to ask for an additional 1,800 police officers and staff.

Mr Watson said that the demonstration has turned into “an aggressive and hateful occupation of our neighbourhoods” that has nothing to do with vaccine mandates.

Noting the city’s gratitude for the officers already on loan, he calls for “a dramatic and immediate injection of additional officers”.

The request is for 1,000 regular officers, 600 public order officers, 100 investigative officers, and 100 civilian staff, as well as all the supporting resources.