Saunas and fire pits: Ottawa’s truck protesters in it for the long haul

FILE PHOTO: Vehicles block the route leading from the Ambassador Bridge, linking Detroit and Windsor, as truckers and their supporters continue to protest against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo

Sleeping in trucks and staying warm at fire pits and portable saunas, protesters camped out in the frigid Canadian capital of Ottawa are digging in for a long stay, convinced they have momentum and right on their side.

The number of protesters in the "Freedom Convoy" – initially an opposition to vaccine mandates for cross-border drivers that has morphed into a wider protest against COVID restrictions and the Canadian government – has thinned since it arrived in Ottawa 13 days ago.