Trudeau reluctantly ends ‘use’ of Emergencies Act

Ailan Evans, DCNF

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday that the Emergencies Act, invoked in response to truckers protesting COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates, would no longer be in use.

“The situation is no longer an emergency, therefore the federal government will be ending the use of the Emergencies Act,” Trudeau told reporters during a press conference. “We are confident that existing laws and bylaws are sufficient.”

The decision follows the violent clearing of the Freedom Convoy and other protesters from the Canadian capital city of Ottawa by local and federal police that injured several civilians.

Trudeau first invoked the Emergencies Act on Monday of last week, citing economic disruptions caused by the presence of the truckers as well as the alleged threat to “public safety” posed by the protesters. The act vastly expanded the powers of Canadian authorities to crack down on protesters, allowing them to direct banks to freeze accounts, impose fines and prison sentences, and cordon off certain areas of the city.

While Trudeau rescinded the Emergencies Act, the Canadian prime minister left open the possibility that authorities may again crack down on protesters, promising to surveil anti-mandate activities.

“Let’s be very clear: the threat continues. We do see, whether it’s social media activity or people who continue to be focused on protesting, and perhaps illegally protesting, that we need to be monitoring,” he said.

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