Canadian PM Trudeau Revokes Emergencies Act, Declares Truckers' Protest Over

The act had been imposed to contain protests by truckers in Ottawa which were brewing due to COVID-19-related restrictions imposed by the Canadian government.

(Photo: The Quint) 

Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau revoked the Emergencies Act on Wednesday, 23 February, saying the truckers' protest was finally over, reported AFP.

The act had been imposed to contain protests by truckers in Ottawa which were brewing due to COVID-19-related restrictions imposed by the Canadian government.

"Today, we're ready to confirm that the situation is no longer an emergency... Therefore, the federal government will be ending the use of the emergencies act," Trudeau said in a press conference, as per reports by AFP.

He also added that while the threat still continues, "We are confident that existing laws and bylaws are sufficient to keep people safe."

The emergency powers, which have rarely been used in the country during peacetime, were invoked on 14 February.

On Sunday, the last of the trucks were removed from Ottawa after police arrested over 200 protestors and seized dozens of rigs in a major crackdown. Border crossings were also declared open to the public.

What Were Truckers Protesting Against?

For a number of weeks, thousands of protestors, most of whom were truck drivers, led a fierce protest against the imposition of COVID-19 vaccination requirements to traverse Canada's border with the United States (US).

Truckers blocked a number of border crossings, including a route between Windsor in Canada and Detroit in the US - effectively choking industrial trade between the North American neighbours.

A number of protestors in other countries like France and New Zealand, inspired by the weeks-long blockades in Canada, started similar protests against their own governments for imposing COVID-19 restrictions.

Opposition Slams Trudeau

Canada's Opposition parties severely criticised Trudeau for not acting sooner to dispel the protests.

Critics accused the 50-year-old PM of using "a sledgehammer" on protesting truckers and their supporters by imposing the controversial act for the first time since 1970, AFP reported.

Former Canadian prime minister and Trudeau's father, Pierre Trudeau, had imposed the Emergencies Act after hostile Quebec separatists set off bombs in Montreal and kidnapped a number of influential persons, including a Canadian lawmaker.

Conservative Party MP and Leader of the Opposition in Canada, Candice Bergen, on Wednesday said, "Today's announcement is proof that the prime minister was wrong when he invoked the Emergencies Act."

Defending his decision in parliament, Trudeau reasoned that he had invoked the act because local authorities required "more tools" to "enforce the law and protect Canadians".

He also added that in the coming months, Parliament would be reviewing his decision thoroughly.

At its peak, the protests included 15,000 people who descended upon the Canadian capital Ottawa. However, polls indicate that while Canadians were sympathetic to the truckers in the initial days of the protest, a large number of them were now against the movement.

(With inputs from AFP.)