Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said Monday that his administration had utilized rarely-used special measures to address protests that have shut down several border crossings and immobilized downtown Ottawa. “Blockades undermine our economy and jeopardize public safety,” Mr. Trudeau stated during a press conference. “We cannot and will not tolerate the continuation of illegal and harmful activity.”
Mr. Trudeau ruled out the use of military force and stated on Monday that emergency measures would be “time-limited, regionally targeted, reasonable, and commensurate to the risks they are intended to address.” For more than two weeks, hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters in trucks and other vehicles have clogged the streets of Ottawa, the capital, and encircled Parliament Hill, railing against mandated vaccinations for truck drivers and other COVID-19 precautions and denouncing Trudeau’s Liberal government.
Move to deal with Trucker Protest on US-Canada Protest
Members of the self-styled Freedom Convoy have also blockaded several US-Canadian border crossings, though the busiest and most vital — the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit — reopened on Sunday after police arrested dozens of demonstrators and ended a nearly week-long siege that had disrupted auto production in both countries. “This is the greatest, most severe test Trudeau has ever faced,” said Wesley Wark, a professor of national security at the University of Ottawa.
Invoking the Emergencies Act would enable the federal government to declare the Ottawa demonstration illegal and clear it out through such measures as vehicle towing, Wark explained. Additionally, it would allow the government to make more use of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s federal police force.
One of the organizers of the Ottawa protests vowed not to back down in the face of government pressure. “There are no threats that may make us fearful. We will maintain our position,” Tamara Lich stated, however, several truckers agreed to relocate their rigs out of a residential area and combine them on Parliament Hill to prevent bothering residents.
Cadalin Valcea, a Montreal truck driver who has been protesting for more than two weeks, said he will only relocate if forced: “All we want is to put an end to this lockdown and these restrictions.” Doug Ford, the Conservative premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populated province, which contains Ottawa and Windsor, signaled support for emergency measures before Mr. Trudeau’s meeting, saying: “We need law and order.” Our country is in danger right now.”
However, at least three additional province leaders — from Quebec, Alberta, and Saskatchewan — have cautioned the Prime Minister against taking such a measure, with some warning that it might exacerbate an already perilous situation. “At this moment, it would have no beneficial effect on the social situation. There is a lot of pressure, and I believe we must exercise caution,” Quebec Premier François Legault stated. “That would exacerbate the polarization.”
Protest over Vaccine Mandate got support from Right-Wing Extremists
The protests have garnered support from right-wing extremists and armed people in Canada, as well as from Fox News celebrities and conservatives such as Donald Trump in the United States. Other conservatives pressed Mr. Trudeau to repeal the pandemic mandates entirely. “He’s sparked protests around the country, and he’s now slipping in the polls, desperately attempting to resurrect his political career. “The solution is right in front of him,” said opposition Conservative legislator and candidate for the party’s leadership Pierre Poilievre.
In other news, the Mounties announced the arrest of 11 people at the blockaded Coutts border crossing in Alberta, which is adjacent to Montana, after learning of a stash of guns and ammunition.
According to police, a tiny group within the protest was “ready to use force against police if any attempt was made to disturb the roadblock.” Authorities seized 13 long guns, handguns, body armor sets, a machete, as well as large ammunition and high-capacity magazines.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney further stated that protestors in a tractor and a heavy-duty truck attempted and failed to smash a police car in Coutts on Sunday night. According to him, some demonstrators want to “push this in a very dangerous and dark path.”
Authorities have been hesitant to act against protestors across the country in recent weeks. Local officials claimed a shortage of police officers and concerns about violence, while provincial and federal authorities disagreed on who was responsible for quelling the unrest.
Mr. Trudeau’s late father, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, employed an earlier version of the Emergencies Act, dubbed the War Measures Act, only once during peacetime, in 1970, to cope with a militant Quebec independence movement. Invoking emergency powers would send “a signal to both Canadians across the country and also to critical friends like the United States and the rest of the world who are asking what the hell Canada has been up to,” Wark added.
Similar convoys have been organized in France, New Zealand, and the Netherlands in response to the demonstrations. According to US authorities, truck convoys may be in the works in the United States. Additionally, Ontario’s leader stated on Monday that the government will eliminate the requirement for people to provide evidence of vaccination to enter restaurants, gyms, and athletic activities beginning March 1. In Canada, the spike in cases caused by the omicron variety has peaked.
“Let me state unequivocally: We are proceeding in this manner because it is safe. Today’s announcement is not in response to the events in Ottawa or Windsor, but despite them,” Mr. Ford stated. The Ambassador Bridge, which accounts for 25% of bilateral trade, returned to traffic late Sunday night. General Motors, Ford, Toyota, and other manufacturers were compelled to close plants or reduce production on both sides of the border due to the disruption in the flow of commodities.
The siege in Ottawa, some 470 miles (750 kilometers) away, has infuriated locals fed up with inaction by the government. They have reported harassment and intimidation at the hands of demonstrators who have parked their rigs on city streets. “It’s nerve-wracking. I’m enraged at what’s occurring. This is not the case in Canada. This is not representative of us,” Colleen Sinclair, an Ottawa counter-protester, said. Ms. Sinclair stated that the demonstrators have had their say and must now move on — if necessary, with the assistance of the police.
“They are occupying forces,” she stated. “This is domestic terrorism, and we want you to leave our city immediately.” Return to your home.” Numerous COVID-19 restrictions in Canada, such as mask requirements and vaccine passports required to enter restaurants and cinemas, are already being phased out as the omicron spike subsides. Canada has significantly stronger pandemic limitations than the United States, but Canadians have mostly supported them. The vast majority of Canadians are immunized, and the COVID-19 fatality rate in Canada is around one-third of that in the United States.