Canadian court puts muzzle on honking by protesting truckers

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) - Honking horns, a key tool for truckers protesting coronavirus restrictions in the Canadian capital Ottawa, have been silenced by a ruling from the Ontario Supreme Court.

Fed up with the constant honking and blocked roads in central Ottawa, local residents filed a lawsuit against the organizers of the "Freedom Convoy."

After hearing from parties in the case, Judge Hugh McLean announced an interim ruling under which the horns will be silenced for 10 days.

"Tooting a horn is not an expression of any great thought I'm aware of," he said.

The next hearing in the case is set for Feb. 16.

Despite ruling against the honking, McLean said the truckers still have the right to protest and the silencing of the honks would not deny them of this.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on the truckers to put an end to the protest and said the people of Ottawa "don't deserve to be harassed in their own neighborhoods." Trudeau said COVID-19-related restrictions would not last forever.

The protests first erupted against the mandatory vaccination of truck drivers who were crossing the US-Canadian border, but later escalated into a protest against COVID-19 restrictions.