Police deployed in force in Ottawa amid 'freedom' protests

Several bikers have said in social media posts that they sought to “defend their freedom,“ while others heavily criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his policies.

Meanwhile, some protesters rallying on foot, many waving Canadian flags, converged on a war monument in central Ottawa. Among the demonstrators were military veterans wearing medal-bedecked vests.

Heavily deployed police forces maintained a strong presence in the city on Saturday after making multiple arrests the night before when a crowd became "combative" just outside the parliamentary precinct.

"Public Order Units were deployed... to disperse an aggressive and combative crowd," police said, noting that the seven were held on charges including assaulting police. Twenty-four vehicles have also been towed.

"We are reminding everyone to remain lawful, respectful and follow police direction," police wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.

Ottawa's Mayor Jim Watson said the local police, which had called in more than 800 reinforcements, had taken “a strong stance″ to prevent protesters from forming a new encampment, the kind that was set up by protesters in Ottawa in February.

Referring to the three-week-long trucker-led occupation of the city in February, a community group called Horizon Ottawa said in a statement that "the terror of the occupation cannot ever be repeated."

The protests on Saturday were relatively peaceful.