TORONTO — Taxi drivers protesting Uber in Toronto blocked an intersection Wednesday afternoon, intentionally preventing an ambulance from passing by.
A video uploaded on YouTube clearly shows an ambulance with sirens activated being stalled behind a black taxi. The EMS providers can be heard from a distance repeatedly saying, “Move to the right, move over.”
CBC reported a police officer was also injured after being struck by a cab at the intersection where the protest was taking place.
“If you think that putting the public at risk is going to change those laws … I think you’re in the wrong city,” Police Chief Mark Saunders said.
The city’s mayor condemned the taxi drivers’ actions as well and asked them to halt demonstrating.
“There is no excuse for putting the safety of the public at risk, for blocking ambulances and first responders, for police officers being knocked to the ground,” Mayor John Tory said.