OTTAWA, Ontario – Local Ottawans told Fox News they’re fed up with the Freedom Convoy protest, though some expressed their support for the truckers.
“Everybody’s fed up,” an Ottawa resident told Fox News. “A lot of people agree with some of the stuff that the truckers are going for, but I think it may be time to move on.”
“It’s pretty hard on a lot of us in the area, so it would be nice for all of it were all over,” he continued.
A “Closed” sign hangs on a business in downtown Ottawa
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
Canadian truckers converged in Ottawa two weeks ago and called for an end to the government’s vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers. Nearby roads and businesses, including a major downtown mall have closed, leaving some streets deserted. The mayor declared a state of emergency Sunday.
Man in downtown Ottawa says locals are ‘fed up’ with the truckers’ protest
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
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“It’s hell,” one local told Fox News. “It’s a mess, they got to get rid of these separatists.”
Protesting Canadian truckers recently told Fox News they wouldn’t leave until there was at least discourse with the government. They also criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s portrayal of them.
The “Freedom Convoy” protest
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
A student said he didn’t feel impacted, but told Fox News that “people are pretty fed up” and sick of “the noise and amount of people crowding downtown.”
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A woman, Siena, said the general sentiment among locals was that “truckers should go.”
An Ottawa resident describes the impact the “Freedom Convoy” has had on locals
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
Locals were most bothered by the road closures.
“The transit is disrupted, so I have to take long walks going to my clients,” a health care worker told Fox News. “It’s been 12 days I’ve been doing this.”
Another woman also said: “It’s been a hassle to get to work.”
Trucks block off roads in downtown Ottawa
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
A student, Blanca, was similarly bothered by the traffic disruptions.
There’s also been “pollution, wastes, oh and too much marijuana,” she said.
Another local told Fox News: “It’s annoying … we need Ottawa back.”
A deserted street near the “Freedom Convoy” protest in downtown Ottawa
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
But others weren’t as bothered by the protest.
“I don’t think it’s cooked up to be what it is on the news,” one man told Fox News. “It’s kind of like a festival.”
Another woman said “no doubt” the noise was initially bad, but added that it didn’t bother her.
“I think it’s been absolutely beautiful,” she said. “I’m coming for the third or fourth time just to check things out. I’ve seen nothing but love.”
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“We’ve been inconvenienced, lockdowned for two years,” the woman added. “What’s a couple of weeks of inconvenience?”
An Ottawa local expresses his support for the “Freedom Convoy” movement
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
A construction worker similarly said he’s loved having the movement in Ottawa.
“I work just down the road,” he said. “I come support it at lunch.”
