Ottawa Police say military may be needed to clear truckers, military says there are no plans for such involvement

Update: A spokesperson for the Department of National Defense confirmed to CBC reporter Cat Tunney that “the Canadian Armed Forces are not involved in law enforcement in this situation, and there are no plans for such CAF involvement.”

Original story below

Ottawa Chief of Police Peter Sloly said that he was "not as confident" as they have been in the past that the police alone will be able to handle the situation in downtown Ottawa with the freedom truckers.

Sloly's comments came on Wednesday on the fifth day of demonstration, where he said that he was "not as confident as we have been that police alone will resolve this situation substantially, nevermind in totality."

"There is likely no policing solution to this," Sloly said, "but in combination with other efforts, there may be other opportunity to substantially reduce if not end this demonstration."

"It is a local demonstration, provincial, national, and one with international elements associated to it," he said.

Reporters then asked for Sloly to explain what he meant by non-policing solutions, asking if he meant "politics [or]military."

Sloly responded, "I think you just listed off 'most of them' right there."

Mayor Jim Watson added to the comments by the police chief, saying: "This whole occupation can end tomorrow if they show some empathy as they say they are. People's nerves are frayed, they haven't been able to sleep for five nights in a row. People are being harassed on the streets. They're being attacked in coffee shops. We saw someone wanted to bring a gun down to Parliament buildings."

"It's time to move on. They have the leadership of the movement who claim to be empathetic today in a press release."