PM: No plans to call in military or meet with trucker convoy protesters

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says calling in the military to end the trucker convoy standoff in Ottawa is 'not in the cards right now,' nor does he have any plans to engage with the few hundred protesters remaining camped out on city streets.

“There were questions a couple of years ago around military when it came to other protests that were blocking critical infrastructure. My answer then, is consistent with my answer now, that one has to be very, very cautious before deploying military in situations engaging Canadians,” Trudeau told reporters on Thursday.

“It is not something that anyone should enter in lightly, but as of now, there have been no requests, and that is not in the cards right now.”

With protesters now parked on Wellington Street for almost a full week, calls have revved up for the federal government to intervene in recent days.

From suggestions the RCMP should be playing a more prominent role, to whether specific federal financial aid could be offered to businesses that have had to shut their doors due to the risks associated with the demonstration, city officials have been putting pressure on Trudeau to do more.