OTTAWA (CU)_Over the past few weeks thousands of protesters opposing to COVID-19 restrictions held demonstrations in the capital city of Canada, with their nonstop blaring of horns, traffic disruptions and harassment leaving residents of Ottawa furious. Accordingly, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has decided to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time in the history of the country to quell the protests and the ongoing blockades.
“It is now clear that there are serious challenges to law enforcement’s ability to effectively enforce the law,” PM Trudeau told a news conference. “It is no longer a lawful protest at a disagreement over government policy. It is now an illegal occupation. It’s time for people to go home.” According to the Prime Minister, the measures launched under the Act, will be geographically targeted, while the federal government will ensure they are “reasonable and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address”.
The unprecedented deployment of the statute would mean that the police will be equipped with more tools to restore order in places of public assembly where illegal and dangerous activities like blockades and occupations take place. The Canadian leader further noted that the Act will enable the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to enforce provincial offences and municipal bylaws if required. “This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people’s jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ottawa is also going after financial support which fund these protests. Convoy organisers have reportedly raised millions of dollars and according to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, the Emergencies Act requires crowd funding platforms used by the protesters to register with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and the national financial intelligence agency, and must report large and suspicious transactions to the FINTRAC.
“The illegal blockades have highlighted the fact that crowd funding platforms, and some of the payment service providers they use, are not fully captured under the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act,” the Minister said. “We are making these changes because we know that these platforms are being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activity which is damaging the Canadian economy.”
