Canada rules out use of troops against truckers' blockade; more protests planned

FILE PHOTO: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference about Canada's military support for Ukraine, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo

OTTAWA (Reuters) -The Canadian government will not use troops against truckers whose nearly week-long protest of coronavirus vaccine mandates has brought traffic in central Ottawa to a halt, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.

More than 200 trucks and other vehicles have been blockading downtown roads in the nation's capital since last Friday in what is an unprecedented protest by Canadian standards.