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Truckers Protesting Vaccine Mandates Get Ticketed For ‘Horn Honking’

(Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images)

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The Ottawa police issued 30 traffic tickets Wednesday during ongoing trucker protests in the Canadian capital against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

The officers handed out eight charges for “unnecessary noise” consisting of honking of horns, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Ottawa Police Service. Other tickets were for carrying insecure fuel cans, disobeying traffic signs and speeding, among other things.

Ottawa residents have reportedly complained about noise and behavior coming from the protests, according to BBC News. The protesters first descended on the city in late January to oppose a federal mandate that requires truckers who cross the U.S.-Canada border to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

A local named Zexi Li asked the police to address the honking near her house, the Ottawa Citizen reported. Li said one police officer told her the truckers had a right to protest, and another officer reportedly said they were not ticketing every instance of honking, according to the outlet.

Tamara Lich, a lead organizer of the “Freedom Convoy,” stated in a press conference Thursday that the protesters will not leave until the Canadian government ends its vaccine mandates and other pandemic-related restrictions, according to the Ottawa Citizen. (RELATED: Truck Drivers Continue To Rally Against COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates)

“Our departure will be based on the prime minister doing what is right: ending all mandates and restrictions on our freedoms,” Lich said.

The Ottawa Police Service Traffic Enforcement Unit will continue patrolling the streets of Ottawa, according to the Wednesday statement. The police are utilizing automatic license plate readers to detect infractions such as stolen license plates and suspended or unlicensed drivers.