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Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson commended Unifor, the union that represents the airport taxi drivers, for approaching the city Tuesday to accept the injunction’s proposed terms.

Had the union not done so, Watson said, “We were prepared to go it alone because we felt very, very strongly that there was a risk to public safety.

“It was becoming, I believe, very dangerous when people were lying on the road (and) the acts of violence that took place a couple of weeks ago.”

Three airport cabbies face criminal charges for allegedly attacking a passing Blue Line taxi and smashing its rear window as it accelerated past the protesters on the Airport Parkway.

The airport authority obtained an injunction in August restricting the activities of the protesters on airport property. But that merely shifted the protests to the parkway and other areas bordering the airport grounds.

In an interview, Harry Ghadban, Unifor’s national representative, said the union recognized that “the judge is not going to allow us to just continually march on the parkway.

“We thought it made more sense of us to have that part clarified and our people will know what the rules are.”

However, Ghadban said the drivers will continue their protests and “wherever possible follow the law. We’ll be asking for permits to do events and marches on the parkway.”

Watson suggested that Unifor saw the drivers were not winning public support by disrupting the free flow of people to the airport or the city’s south end.