Trudeau mulls invoking emergency powers to quell protests
By ROB GILLIES and TED SHAFFREY
28 minutes ago
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Don Stephens, 65, a retired graphic designer, holds a sign on Parliament Hill to support trucks lined up in protest of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions in Ottawa, Ontario, on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. Stephens said he’s come into Ottawa twice to show support for protesters there. He views them as representatives of a “silent majority that had been longing to have their voice heard.” (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
OTTAWA (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government weighed whether to invoke emergency powers Monday to quell the protests by demonstrators who have paralyzed Ottawa and blocked border crossings in anger over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.
For the past two weeks, hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters in trucks and other vehicles have clogged the streets of Ottawa, the capital, railing against vaccine mandates and other virus precautions and condemning Trudeau’s Liberal government.
Members of the self-styled Freedom Convoy have also blockaded various U.S.-Canadian border crossings, though the busiest and most important — the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit — was reopened on Sunday after police cleared out the last of the demonstrators and broke the week-long siege that had disrupted auto production in both countries.
In recent days, the prime minister rejected calls to use the military but said “all options are on the table” to end the protests, including invoking the Emergencies Act, which gives the government broad powers.
“Our government is prepared to do what is required to uphold the rule of law and to restore order in our communities and in particular to protect critical infrastructure, particularly at our borders,” Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said when asked Monday about whether the Emergencies Act should be invoked.
In other developments, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they arrested 11 people at the U.S. border crossing at Coutts, Alberta, after learning of a cache of guns and ammunition. Demonstrators in trucks and other vehicles have been blocking that crossing since late January.
Police said a small group within the protest was said to have a “willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade.” Authorities seized 13 long guns, handguns, sets of body armor, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition and high-capacity magazines.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney also said protesters in a tractor and a heavy-duty truck tried to ram a police vehicle at Coutts on Sunday night and fled. “This underscores the severity of what has been happening,” he said.
OTTAWA (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government weighed whether to invoke emergency powers Monday to quell the protests by demonstrators who have paralyzed Ottawa and blocked border crossings in anger over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.
For the past two weeks, hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters in trucks and other vehicles have clogged the streets of Ottawa, the capital, railing against vaccine mandates and other virus precautions and condemning Trudeau’s Liberal government.
Members of the self-styled Freedom Convoy have also blockaded various U.S.-Canadian border crossings, though the busiest and most important — the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit — was reopened on Sunday after police cleared out the last of the demonstrators and broke the week-long siege that had disrupted auto production in both countries.
In recent days, the prime minister rejected calls to use the military but said “all options are on the table” to end the protests, including invoking the Emergencies Act, which gives the government broad powers.
“Our government is prepared to do what is required to uphold the rule of law and to restore order in our communities and in particular to protect critical infrastructure, particularly at our borders,” Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said when asked Monday about whether the Emergencies Act should be invoked.
In other developments, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they arrested 11 people at the U.S. border crossing at Coutts, Alberta, after learning of a cache of guns and ammunition. Demonstrators in trucks and other vehicles have been blocking that crossing since late January.
Police said a small group within the protest was said to have a “willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade.” Authorities seized 13 long guns, handguns, sets of body armor, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition and high-capacity magazines.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney also said protesters in a tractor and a heavy-duty truck tried to ram a police vehicle at Coutts on Sunday night and fled. “This underscores the severity of what has been happening,” he said.
AND HE STILL HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT DESPITE UCP DRACONIAN ANTI PROTEST LAW BILL 1 CAUSE THIS IS THEIR BASE
Over the past weeks, authorities have hesitated to move against the protesters around the country. Local officials cited a lack of police manpower and fear of violence, while provincial and federal authorities disagreed over who had responsibility for quelling the unrest.
“This is the biggest, greatest most severe test Trudeau has faced. And if using the Emergencies Act they fail to clear the protest, I think he’s done,” said Wesley Wark, a University of Ottawa professor and national security expert.
Invoking the Emergencies Act would allow the federal government to declare the Ottawa protest illegal and clear it out by such means as towing vehicles, Wark said. It would also enable the government to make greater use of the Mounties, the federal police agency.
Over the past weeks, authorities have hesitated to move against the protesters around the country. Local officials cited a lack of police manpower and fear of violence, while provincial and federal authorities disagreed over who had responsibility for quelling the unrest.
“This is the biggest, greatest most severe test Trudeau has faced. And if using the Emergencies Act they fail to clear the protest, I think he’s done,” said Wesley Wark, a University of Ottawa professor and national security expert.
Invoking the Emergencies Act would allow the federal government to declare the Ottawa protest illegal and clear it out by such means as towing vehicles, Wark said. It would also enable the government to make greater use of the Mounties, the federal police agency.
An earlier version of the Emergencies Act, called the War Measures Act, was used just once during peacetime, by Trudeau’s late father, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, to deal with a militant Quebec independence movement in 1970.
Trudeau: Just Watch Me
Former CBC reporter Tim Ralfe discusses the famous interview in which Pierre Trudeau said "Just Watch Me."
Trudeau planned to meet virtually Monday with the leaders of Canada’s provinces and with lawmakers.
Invoking emergency powers would be “a signal to both Canadians across the country and also an important signal to allies like the United States and around the world who are wondering what the hell is Canada been up to,” Wark said.
The demonstrations in Canada have inspired similar convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands. U.S. authorities have said that truck convoys may be in the works in the United States.
In other developments, Ontario’s premier Doug Ford announced Monday that Canada’s most populous province will lift its COVID-19 proof-of-vaccination requirements in two weeks — not because of the protests that have blocked the border and paralyzed Ottawa, he said, but because “it is safe to do so.”
Ford said that on March 1, the province will drop its requirement that people show proof of vaccination to get into restaurants, restaurants, gyms and sporting events. A surge of cases caused by the omicron variant has crested in Canada.
The province will also remove its 50% capacity limit on restaurants on Thursday, four days earlier than planned. Ford gave no timetable for dropping the requirement that people wear masks in public places.
“Let me very clear: We are moving in this direction because it is safe to do so. Today’s announcement is not because of what’s happening in Ottawa or Windsor but despite it,” Ford said.
Ford said he would support Trudeau’s government if it proposed further measures to quell the protests.
““We need law and order. Our country is at risk now. It’s not just not happening here in Ottawa, but it’s happening in Alberta and British Columbia,” Ford said. “We won’t accept. it”
Invoking emergency powers would be “a signal to both Canadians across the country and also an important signal to allies like the United States and around the world who are wondering what the hell is Canada been up to,” Wark said.
The demonstrations in Canada have inspired similar convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands. U.S. authorities have said that truck convoys may be in the works in the United States.
In other developments, Ontario’s premier Doug Ford announced Monday that Canada’s most populous province will lift its COVID-19 proof-of-vaccination requirements in two weeks — not because of the protests that have blocked the border and paralyzed Ottawa, he said, but because “it is safe to do so.”
Ford said that on March 1, the province will drop its requirement that people show proof of vaccination to get into restaurants, restaurants, gyms and sporting events. A surge of cases caused by the omicron variant has crested in Canada.
The province will also remove its 50% capacity limit on restaurants on Thursday, four days earlier than planned. Ford gave no timetable for dropping the requirement that people wear masks in public places.
“Let me very clear: We are moving in this direction because it is safe to do so. Today’s announcement is not because of what’s happening in Ottawa or Windsor but despite it,” Ford said.
Ford said he would support Trudeau’s government if it proposed further measures to quell the protests.
““We need law and order. Our country is at risk now. It’s not just not happening here in Ottawa, but it’s happening in Alberta and British Columbia,” Ford said. “We won’t accept. it”
Police in Windsor, arrested 25 to 30 protesters and towed several vehicles Sunday near the Ambassador Bridge. The span, which carries 25% of all trade between the two countries, reopened to traffic late Sunday night.
After protesters began blocking bridge access Feb. 7, automakers began shutting down or reducing production at a time when the industry is already struggling with pandemic-induced shortages of computer chips and other supply-chain
About 470 miles (750 kilometers) northeast of Windsor, the protest in Ottawa has paralyzed downtown, infuriated residents who are fed up with police inaction and turned up the pressure on Trudeau.
“It’s stressful. I feel angry at what’s happening. This isn’t Canada. This does not represent us,” Colleen Sinclair, a counter-protester who lives in Ottawa.
Sinclair said all demonstrators have had their say and need to move on — with police force, if necessary.
“They’re occupiers,” she said. “This is domestic terrorism and we want you out of our city. Go home.”
While the protesters are decrying vaccine mandates for truckers and other COVID-19 restrictions, many of Canada’s public health measures, such as mask rules and vaccine passports for getting into restaurants and theaters, are already falling away as the omicron surge levels off.
Pandemic restrictions have been far stricter in Canada than in the U.S., but Canadians have largely supported them. The vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated, and the COVID-19 death rate is one-third that of the United States.
_____
Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writers Ted Shaffrey in Ottawa, Ontario, and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report.
Canada: PM Trudeau invokes emergency powers to deal with protests
After meeting provincial leaders, Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to deal with protests. For more than two weeks people have been protesting against COVID measures, blocking a vital trade route in the process.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that government will invoke the "Emergencies Act"
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked never before used emergency ordinance in a bid to quash protests that have brought the capital city Ottawa to a near standstill.
For the past two weeks, hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters in trucks and other vehicles have blocked the streets of Ottawa, as they vented their frustration over vaccine mandates and other virus-related restrictions.
As a result, Trudeau conducted a meeting with the country's provincial leadership and announced the measures in a national address.
"The Federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations... The scope of these measures will be time limited, geographically targeted, as well as reasonable and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address... This is about keeping Canadians safe," Trudeau told a news conference.
"The blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety," said Trudeau. "We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue."
What is the Emergencies Act?
The Emergencies Act is an unprecedented measure and grants government greater authority to deal with matters deemed to be a national emergency.
It was passed in 1988 and must only be invoked if the situation exceeds the capabilities of existing measures.
The act grants police greater power and more resources to deal with illegal protests and come into effect immediately.
While the scope of the act covers the entire country, the measures will only apply in areas where they are needed.
When asked whether there would be any military involvement, Trudeau said he would not deal with hypothetical scenarios.
The prime minister did however stress that the move "in no way brings in the military as a solution against Canadians" and that it was about "empowering law enforcement."
The decision comes after the so-called "freedom convoy" converged on the capital city in trucks, demonstrating primarily over COVID-19 regulations.
Illegal occupations the catalyst for emergency measures
The Ambassador Bridge which connects Windsor, Ontario with Detroit in the US was shut down for around a week. It was eventually cleared on Sunday when authorities announced the standoff had come to an end.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has called the protesters a "fringe" of Canadian society, had rejected calls to bring in the military. But his office has said authorities would not hesitate to pull out all the stops, if necessary.
kb/jsi (AP, Reuters)
'Caution must be taken against overreach': Premiers react to Trudeau's call for Emergencies Act
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau briefed premiers on a proposal to invoke the Emergencies Act Monday morning, a sweeping piece of legislation that would give the government extraordinary powers to clear protests that have swamped downtown Ottawa and blockaded border crossing in several provinces.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault said he doesn’t support a state of emergency in his province.
Trudeau invokes emergency powers to quell Canada protests
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Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the military would not be deployed at this stage, but that authorities would be granted more powers to arrest protesters and seize their trucks (AFP/Dave Chan)
Michel COMTE, Genevieve NORMAND in Montreal
Mon, February 14, 2022
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked rarely used emergency powers to bring an end to trucker-led protests against Covid health rules, after police arrested 11 people with a "cache of firearms" blocking a border crossing with the United States.
It marked only the second time in Canadian history such powers have been invoked in peacetime, and came as hundreds of big rigs still clogged the streets of the capital Ottawa, as well as two border crossings.
"The federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations," Trudeau told a news conference.
The prime minister said the military would not be deployed at this stage, but that authorities would be granted more powers to arrest protesters and seize their trucks in order to clear blockades, as well as ban funding of the protests.
"We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue," Trudeau said.
"This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people's jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions," he added, noting that the scope of the measures would be "time-limited" and "geographically targeted," but without providing specifics.
As the threat of violence lingered, federal police said they arrested 11 protesters with rifles, handguns, body armor and ammunition at the border between Coutts, Alberta and Sweet Grass, Montana, just a day after another key US-Canada border crossing was cleared in Ontario.
"The group was said to have a willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.
The protests by Canadian truckers and their supporters -- opposed to mandatory coronavirus vaccines and pushing a wider anti-establishment agenda -- have triggered copycat movements from France to New Zealand, with US truckers mulling similar rallies.
Under pressure to act, Trudeau on Sunday convened a special federal response group on efforts to end the occupation of Ottawa and the remaining, economically damaging, blockades of border crossings in Alberta and Manitoba.
The Emergencies Act was previously used by Trudeau's father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, during the October Crisis of 1970.
It saw troops sent to Quebec to restore order after the kidnappings by militant separatists of a British trade attache and a Quebec minister, Pierre Laporte, who was found strangled to death in the trunk of a car.
- Protests spreading -
Canada's so-called "Freedom Convoy" started with truckers protesting against mandatory vaccines to cross the border with the United States.
But its demands now include an end to all Covid-19 health measures and, for many of the protesters, for the toppling of Trudeau's Liberal government -- only five months after he won re-election.
The truckers have found support among conservatives and vaccine mandate opponents across the globe, even as Covid-19 measures are being rolled back in many places.
In Paris on the weekend, police fired tear gas and issued hundreds of fines in an effort to break up convoys coming from across France.
The Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria have also seen copycat movements, and Belgian authorities said Monday they had intercepted 30 vehicles as police scrambled to stop a convoy of trucks.
- Truckers dig in -
Canadian police over the weekend cleared a blockade on the Ambassador Bridge, which handles an estimated 25 percent of trade with the United States, and had disrupted business in the world's largest economy.
But Monday morning in Ottawa, as a deep freeze rolled in, protesters remained defiant despite threats of jail and fines of up to Can$100,000 (US$80,000).
Leaving "is not in my plans," Phil Rioux, behind the wheel of a large truck, told AFP before Trudeau's announcement.
"It's by maintaining the pressure that we have a better chance of achieving our goal," the 29-year-old explained.
"There are other customs checkpoints that are blocked, more will be blocked elsewhere," he added.
Protest organizer Tamara Lich also told a news conference, "We are not afraid... We will hold the line."
Earlier Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the lifting of vaccine passport requirements by March 1 in the province -- following in Alberta and Saskatchewan's footsteps.
Ontario, Canada's most populous province, had reimposed at the end of December among the most restrictive health measures in the world.
Residents of the capital, meanwhile, have grown increasingly frustrated, saying the protest has made them prisoners in their own homes.
Most businesses downtown are also closed or have had almost no customers after officials warned residents to stay clear.
"It's a little quieter now, there are less honking but it's annoying... (because) there's no other way to get to work than by walking" past the demonstrations, said Haley, a young woman on her way to work who declined to give her last name.
Like thousands of counter-protesters who blocked more trucks from entering the downtown this weekend, she'd been looking to the prime minister to end the crisis.
bur-amc/caw
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau briefed premiers on a proposal to invoke the Emergencies Act Monday morning, a sweeping piece of legislation that would give the government extraordinary powers to clear protests that have swamped downtown Ottawa and blockaded border crossing in several provinces.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault said he doesn’t support a state of emergency in his province.
Several premiers have already spoken out against the possible move, including Premier Jason Kenney in Alberta and Quebec Premier Francois Legault.
Legault said he doesn’t support a state of emergency in his province.
“I understand there is a particular problem in Ontario and in Ottawa, and we are ready to support what needs to be done by the federal and Ontario government as well as the municipal government in Ottawa, but we do not wish to have Emergency State in Quebec.”
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said using the act in her province would be ill-advised.
“The sweeping effects and signals associated with the never-before-used Emergencies Act are not constructive here in Manitoba, where caution must be taken against overreach and unintended negative consequences,” she said, while conceding the situation in Ottawa might be different.
The Emergencies Act is the modern-day replacement to the War Measures Act. It allows the federal government to force companies to provide services, it can require public protests to end, and limit mobility rights by preventing people from moving to designating areas.
The act also allows for the military to be used as police, but several sources said that is not under active consideration.
Several sources provided information to the National Post, all speaking on the condition they not be named.
In the call with the premiers, one provincial source told the National Post it was clear the decision was still under consideration.
The protests around Parliament Hill have been going on for more than two weeks, restricting movement throughout downtown Ottawa.
Legault said he doesn’t support a state of emergency in his province.
“I understand there is a particular problem in Ontario and in Ottawa, and we are ready to support what needs to be done by the federal and Ontario government as well as the municipal government in Ottawa, but we do not wish to have Emergency State in Quebec.”
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said using the act in her province would be ill-advised.
“The sweeping effects and signals associated with the never-before-used Emergencies Act are not constructive here in Manitoba, where caution must be taken against overreach and unintended negative consequences,” she said, while conceding the situation in Ottawa might be different.
The Emergencies Act is the modern-day replacement to the War Measures Act. It allows the federal government to force companies to provide services, it can require public protests to end, and limit mobility rights by preventing people from moving to designating areas.
The act also allows for the military to be used as police, but several sources said that is not under active consideration.
Several sources provided information to the National Post, all speaking on the condition they not be named.
In the call with the premiers, one provincial source told the National Post it was clear the decision was still under consideration.
The protests around Parliament Hill have been going on for more than two weeks, restricting movement throughout downtown Ottawa.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the military would not be deployed at this stage, but that authorities would be granted more powers to arrest protesters and seize their trucks (AFP/Dave Chan)
Michel COMTE, Genevieve NORMAND in Montreal
Mon, February 14, 2022
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked rarely used emergency powers to bring an end to trucker-led protests against Covid health rules, after police arrested 11 people with a "cache of firearms" blocking a border crossing with the United States.
It marked only the second time in Canadian history such powers have been invoked in peacetime, and came as hundreds of big rigs still clogged the streets of the capital Ottawa, as well as two border crossings.
"The federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations," Trudeau told a news conference.
The prime minister said the military would not be deployed at this stage, but that authorities would be granted more powers to arrest protesters and seize their trucks in order to clear blockades, as well as ban funding of the protests.
"We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue," Trudeau said.
"This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people's jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions," he added, noting that the scope of the measures would be "time-limited" and "geographically targeted," but without providing specifics.
As the threat of violence lingered, federal police said they arrested 11 protesters with rifles, handguns, body armor and ammunition at the border between Coutts, Alberta and Sweet Grass, Montana, just a day after another key US-Canada border crossing was cleared in Ontario.
"The group was said to have a willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.
The protests by Canadian truckers and their supporters -- opposed to mandatory coronavirus vaccines and pushing a wider anti-establishment agenda -- have triggered copycat movements from France to New Zealand, with US truckers mulling similar rallies.
Under pressure to act, Trudeau on Sunday convened a special federal response group on efforts to end the occupation of Ottawa and the remaining, economically damaging, blockades of border crossings in Alberta and Manitoba.
The Emergencies Act was previously used by Trudeau's father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, during the October Crisis of 1970.
It saw troops sent to Quebec to restore order after the kidnappings by militant separatists of a British trade attache and a Quebec minister, Pierre Laporte, who was found strangled to death in the trunk of a car.
- Protests spreading -
Canada's so-called "Freedom Convoy" started with truckers protesting against mandatory vaccines to cross the border with the United States.
But its demands now include an end to all Covid-19 health measures and, for many of the protesters, for the toppling of Trudeau's Liberal government -- only five months after he won re-election.
The truckers have found support among conservatives and vaccine mandate opponents across the globe, even as Covid-19 measures are being rolled back in many places.
In Paris on the weekend, police fired tear gas and issued hundreds of fines in an effort to break up convoys coming from across France.
The Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria have also seen copycat movements, and Belgian authorities said Monday they had intercepted 30 vehicles as police scrambled to stop a convoy of trucks.
- Truckers dig in -
Canadian police over the weekend cleared a blockade on the Ambassador Bridge, which handles an estimated 25 percent of trade with the United States, and had disrupted business in the world's largest economy.
But Monday morning in Ottawa, as a deep freeze rolled in, protesters remained defiant despite threats of jail and fines of up to Can$100,000 (US$80,000).
Leaving "is not in my plans," Phil Rioux, behind the wheel of a large truck, told AFP before Trudeau's announcement.
"It's by maintaining the pressure that we have a better chance of achieving our goal," the 29-year-old explained.
"There are other customs checkpoints that are blocked, more will be blocked elsewhere," he added.
Protest organizer Tamara Lich also told a news conference, "We are not afraid... We will hold the line."
Earlier Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the lifting of vaccine passport requirements by March 1 in the province -- following in Alberta and Saskatchewan's footsteps.
Ontario, Canada's most populous province, had reimposed at the end of December among the most restrictive health measures in the world.
Residents of the capital, meanwhile, have grown increasingly frustrated, saying the protest has made them prisoners in their own homes.
Most businesses downtown are also closed or have had almost no customers after officials warned residents to stay clear.
"It's a little quieter now, there are less honking but it's annoying... (because) there's no other way to get to work than by walking" past the demonstrations, said Haley, a young woman on her way to work who declined to give her last name.
Like thousands of counter-protesters who blocked more trucks from entering the downtown this weekend, she'd been looking to the prime minister to end the crisis.
bur-amc/caw
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