It's day 7 of a protest by Tamil supports in front of Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa.
The City of Ottawa is accumulating a large overtime bill for police officers, paramedics, and delayed bus drivers. Residents and local politicians are wondering who will pay these costs, as well as for damages associated with the volume of protesters in the downtown core.
For instance, security guards at the World Exchange Plaza had to contend Sunday with protesters who moved into the parking garage and were cooking underground on the sixth day of demonstrations. The building had to close its washrooms on Saturday after extensive damage.
The final cost won't be known for some time, said Coun. Eli El-Chantiry, chairman of the police services board.
"It's going to be hard for us but right now we're prepared to deal with the consequences," El-Chantiry told CTV Ottawa on Saturday.
Tamil supporters believe the disruptions are a necessary cost to protect their compatriots -- despite most cabinet ministers and MPs remaining away from Ottawa over the long weekend.
The protests also continue in the capital after news Sunday that the Sri Lankan government has ordered a two-day suspension of its military offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels to ostensibly allow tens of thousands of trapped civilians to leave the war zone.
"We are sorry for the trouble. I understand there are a lot of officers working for us," said one Ottawa participant. "We appreciate that. But the same time, our relatives, our loved ones, are over there, dying everyday."
100,000 remain trapped in war zone: UN
President Mahinda Rajapaksa directed the armed forces to restrict operations during the April 13-14 Sri Lankan New Year to a defensive nature and renewed his call to the rebel group to "acknowledge its military defeat and lay down its weapons and surrender," a statement said.
He said the rebels must renounce violence permanently.
The president's call came amid increasing international pressure on the government to protect civilians trapped along with the remaining guerrillas in a government-declared "no-fire" zone, measuring just 20 square kilometres.
The United Nations says about 100,000 civilians are trapped in the war zone with dozens dying every day. The government and aid groups accuse the rebels of using civilians as human shields and have called for their release. The rebels and rights groups have accused the military of firing into the safe zone -- a charge the military denies.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would have liked to see a longer halt, but said the government plan was a "useful first step and an opportunity to move towards the peaceful and orderly end to the fighting now so badly needed."
In his statement, Ban called on both sides to respect the pause in fighting. He said the rebels must allow civilians to move out of the zone, while the government must treat them in accordance with international standards.
Government forces say they are close to crushing the 25-year separatist war. They had previously rejected calls for an official pause in the fighting to allow civilians to leave. .
The Tamil Tiger rebels are fighting to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils, who have faced decades of marginalization by successive governments controlled by ethnic Sinhalese. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon released a statement Saturday that urged the Sri Lankan government to comply with UN principles for displaced persons.
Cannon also blamed at Tamil Tigers (LTTE) for preventing civilians from leaving LTTE-controlled territory, pointing to "disturbing reports of shelling in the government-declared no-fire zone."
The LTTE has been deemed a terrorist organization by the Canadian government.
Tamil protests continue worldwide
On Sunday, protesters entered the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oslo and smashed windows and office equipment, police said. No arrests were made.
On Saturday, at least 100,000 marched in London to demand an immediate end to the offensive and the suspension of development aid to Sri Lanka, a former British colony.
With reports from CTV Ottawa's Kristy Kirkup and The Associated Press
