Ottawa’s mayor declared a state of emergency on Sunday as thousands descended on the Canadian city with truckers in the Freedom Convoy to protest vaccine mandates, proclaiming that the situation was “completely out of control.”

“The situation at this point is completely out of control,” Mayor Jim Watson stated on Sunday. “The individuals with the protest are calling the shots. They have far more people than we have police officers.”

“Declaring a state of emergency reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government,” the mayor declared in a statement.