On February 14 (local time), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to curb the ongoing truckers protest. The Act that has been invoked for the first time in 50 years would give the Trudeau-led Canadian government additional powers to curb the ongoing truckers blockades and protests against Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
‘It is harming economy’
During his remarks after invoking the Emergencies Act, PM Trudeau said the protests happening in the country were not peaceful, and they were harming the economy. He said, “Families and small businesses have been enduring illegal obstruction of their neighbourhoods. Occupying streets, harassing people, breaking the law: this is not a peaceful protest. At the borders in different places in the country, the blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety.”
He further claimed the protests had disrupted the critical supply chain making it difficult for the people to procure essential items. He said, “With each illegal blockade, local law enforcement agencies have been acting to keep the peace within their jurisdiction. Despite their best efforts, it is now clear that there are serious challenges to law enforcements’ ability to effectively enforce the law.”
PM Trudeau said the Emergencies Act had been invoked after consulting with all the central and state government stakeholders. He further claimed, “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. Canadians safe, protecting people’s jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions.”
The scope of these measures will be time-limited, geographically-targeted, and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address. The Act will be used to strengthen and support law enforcement agencies, at all levels, wherever needed across the country.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 15, 2022
Police and financial institutes to have more powers
He said the Act would provide Police additional powers to take action against those who were allegedly indulged in illegal activities such as “protesting and blocking the road”. The financial institutes have been granted additional powers to curb financial support to the protesters.
The Emergencies Act in Canada is defined as a temporary measure to manage an urgent and critical situation that “seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians and is of such proportions or nature as to exceed the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it.”
‘If you support the protests, your accounts will be frozen’
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Chrystia Freeland, said the protests were causing “serious harm to our economy, to our democratic institutions, and to Canada’s international standing.” She added that the government had broadened anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules to include crowdfunding platforms and payment services. “These changes cover all forms of transactions, including digital assets such as cryptocurrencies,” she said.
BREAKING: Canada is now regulating crowdfunding platforms and crypto currency under the Terrorist Financing Act. pic.twitter.com/SMzVqonD8v
— True North (@TrueNorthCentre) February 14, 2022
All financial institutes, including the payment gateways, have to be registered under the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, or FINTRAC that allows the government to follow the money trail.
The financial institutes now have the power to temporarily block providing financial services to accounts, both personal and corporate, that might have been providing assistance to the blockades. The financial institutes have been asked to review their relationship with anyone who is involved in the blockades and report to the agencies.
Freeland added, “A bank or other financial service provider will be able to immediately freeze or suspend the account of an individual or business affiliated with these illegal blockades without a court order. In doing so, they will be protected against civil liability.”
If anyone’s truck is being used in the blockade, his/her corporate accounts will be frozen. She said, “We are today serving notice: if your truck is being used in these protests, your corporate accounts will be frozen. The insurance on your vehicle will be suspended. Send your semi-trailers home. The Canadian economy needs them to be doing legitimate work, not to be illegally making us all poorer.”
This is about following the money. This is about stopping the financing of these illegal blockades. We are today serving notice: if your truck is being used in these protests, your corporate accounts will be frozen. pic.twitter.com/AJ73zdDMy5
— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) February 15, 2022
PM Trudeau claimed invoking an emergency would not affect the right of people to protest ‘peacefully’. He said, “We are not using the emergencies act in order to deploy the military. We will not be suspending fundamental rights, as articulated in the charter of rights and freedoms. We are not limiting the right to peacefully protest or assemble. What we want to do is protect Canadians, protect their jobs and reinstate confidence in our institutions.”
Canadian trucker protests
The Canadians started protesting against vaccine mandate and Covid restrictions on January 29 in the national capital. Later, it spread across the country. For several days, the truckers have been blockading Ottawa and the US-Canada border.
On the government’s orders, the online fundraising platform GoFundMe had removed the fundraiser campaign for the platform over alleged violation of ‘terms of service’. The platform had withheld over 9 million dollars donated to the protesting truckers in Canada after the Public Safety Committee had voted to bring GoFundMe to testify about the fundraising for the truckers on their platform.
