Canada Ends Emergency Declaration As ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protests Dwindle

Topline

Canada ended a nine-day emergency declaration Wednesday that was made in response to the so-called Freedom Convoy protests that obstructed some border crossings and interfered with commerce across the U.S.-Canada border.

Key Facts

Canada’s Emergencies Act allowed authorities to designate no-go areas, to order towing companies to remove vehicles and to freeze up to 210 bank accounts, a power that officials said was used to target larger donors to the protests in order to apply pressure to protesters.

Trudeau said Wednesday that, though there was still a “threat,” the situation was no longer an emergency and could be handled without special powers.

While some Ottawa restaurants and other businesses closed due to the protests had reopened by Tuesday, police checkpoints remained active around the city and a “Secured Area” was still maintained around the Canadian Parliament building, the Ottawa Police Service announced.

An increased police presence is expected to continue in Ottawa during the coming days in order to prevent protesters from returning, police announced.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and Ottawa Catholic School Board reopened schools Tuesday, but said checkpoints might delay students from arriving at school, CBC reported.

Though the blockades were removed, it’s possible that the high-profile demonstrations allowed protesters to spread their message, setting the stage for a longer-term movement, Wesley Wark, senior fellow at Canadian public policy think tank the Center for International Governance Innovation told the New York Times.

Key Background

Beginning February 7, “Freedom Convoy” protesters blockaded the Ambassador Bridge, which accounts for 25% of trade between Canada and the U.S., in opposition to a joint U.S.-Canadian rule requiring truck drivers be fully vaccinated to avoid a 14-day quarantine upon reentry from the U.S. February 11, Ontario Superior Court Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz granted an injunction allowing police to forcibly remove protesters from the bridge. Trudeau declared a public emergency February 14 in a rare move for Canada’s prime minister, granting authorities special powers to deal with the protests. Protesters occupying the area around Ottawa’s parliament building were forcibly cleared away Saturday by police, who reported making 170 arrests, towing away 53 vehicles used by protesters to block downtown streets and issuing 3,600 tickets. Monday, Canada legislators voted to extend the declaration of emergency. A February 8-9 Ipsos poll found that 46% of Canadians “may not agree with everything the people who have taken part in the truck protests in Ottawa have said, but their frustration is legitimate and worthy of our sympathy.”

Crucial Quote

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

Further Reading

“Trudeau revokes emergency powers after Canada blockades end” (AP)

“Trudeau Invokes Rare Emergency Powers To Shut Down ‘Freedom Convoy’ Blockades” (Forbes)