Thread by @pdmcleod

"Walls are caving in" vibes downtown as police descend on the encampment in front of the Parliament buildings.

Police just charged 20 feet or so forward. The crowd fled back. Some people got pepper sprayed, the smell of it is now wafting in the air.

The police line is essentially at the main stage.

Stage POV

Feels like a last stand. One trucker just told me he will stay as long as he can but his truck is better off outside the city than smashed up inside it. Police seem about to storm the stage, warning us to get off now (we did)

Massive advance by police. Lots more gas in the air, but not a full tear gassing of the crowd. They've taken the whole intersection and are still advancing

Police emerging from the gas

Here's what the Metcalfe advancement looked like from the view of @MackLamoureux and I

A block down at the intersection with O'Connor police have closed off the rest of Wellington Street. The protesters are surrounded.

The current situation. We're pretty much kettled in.

Police rapidly advancing. I think they're forcing everyone down O'Connor. It's that or arresting a couple hundred people

The final moments of the three week old occupation of Wellington Street. Crowd's ability to push back has evaporated. "It's over, man" one guy says. Now pushing us down O'Connor. No mass arrests yet.

I spoke too soon. Looped around to Bank St and there's another group trying to hold on here. Not many protesters left. Mounted police are behind the line. Guy next to me got pepper sprayed before I got here. Police standing pat.

Handful of guys got pepper sprayed. A couple medics are helping clean their eyes.

"I don't understand why the police aren't stepping down. How brainwashed are they?" one woman says.

Clearly a lot of people have never been part of a demonstration ended by police before. Can't tell you how many expressions of shock and astonishment I've heard. "I can't believe this," "this is the craziest thing I've ever seen," "it's like we're in China" etc.

A "let's go Brandon" chant just broke out.

Ottawa chic

Protesters expressing their anger through singing the national anthem

Some guy had been yelling "has anyone seen Gary??" so many times I was about to google because i thought i was missing some "let's go Brandon" type meme.

Anyway fuckin Gary just showed up so that's one mystery solved.

Tried to post a video but cell service getting bad. Protesters mounted a huge pushback and even succeeded in forcing the police back some. The resistance broke when police started pepper spraying.

Andrea (with pet pigeon Little Cloud) sums up the predominant mood among crowd: "We all knew it would come to an end but the way they're going about it is completely wrong.... A complete abuse of power... We've only been peaceful."

Still densely packed at the line but the crowd here is tiny in comparison to previous days. Around the corner on Sparks Street is another even smaller crowd. Feels kind of like it's grinding to a close.

A crowd has surrounded and is heckling Evan Solomon, yelling at him to tell the truth. He's gamely trying to continue his hit.

"Gotta admit, he's brave," one guy says to his wife. "Dumb though."

The number of small children around is unnerving. On Sparks Street some have built a snow fort and are playing in it. At least they're away from the police lines.

Uhh? (Yes that is a half US half Canadian flag)

Ottawa police say today they have arrested 47 people and removed 38 vehicles.

Yikes, all the tow truck drivers have covered their vehicles and are wearing bright yellow masks to hide their faces. The Emergencies Act gave the government the power to force to truck drivers to remove vehicles (with pay.) Reports were they were afraid to anger the protesters.