The decision of the Government to use the Emergencies Act as a temporary measure to control the illegal aspects of the “Freedom Convoy” occupation of areas of the country may become a permanent example to anarchists of extreme government overreach.
A man waves a flag while taking part in the convoy protest against vaccine mandates in Ottawa. (CBC / Radio-Canada)
John Paul Tasker, of CBC News, explains what the Emergencies Act means.
In this instance, the act is being invoked to deal with a public order emergency. This means the cabinet has the power to prohibit "public assembly that may reasonably be expected to lead to a breach of the peace," to prohibit travel to, from or within any specified area, to forbid the use of a "specified property" and to secure "protected places." The cabinet can also direct any person or class of person to "render essential services" and gives the government the power to regulate the "distribution and availability of essential goods."... Trudeau said the federal powers will be used to prohibit people from illegally gathering in the city's downtown core and to order tow truck companies in the area to help remove big rigs used in the protests… The cabinet is also directing banks and financial institutions to halt the flow of funds to protest organizers through amendments to the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act.1
On the other hand, the predictable, controlled, and monitored lifting of temporary COVID restrictions by provincial public health authorities was an opportunity for anarchist elements who know frustration with these measures might be both a rallying point and an opportunity to claim a win. Being mindful of the TEMPORARY nature of the Emergencies Act and the Covid restrictions is extremely important to avoid overreaction to these events.
Monitor the trends
Steve Scherer and Nichola Saminather report, for Reuters, on how the Emergencies Act can squeeze funding for the trucker protests.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked rarely-used special measures to end protests that have shut some border crossings and paralyzed downtown Ottawa. He said he would invoke the Emergencies Act to deal with the "Freedom Convoy" protests, started on Jan. 28 by Canadian truckers opposing a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border drivers. They have turned into a rallying point for people opposed to a range of Trudeau's policies, including COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and a carbon tax. The demonstrations shut a main economic corridor between Canada and the United States for six days before it was reopened on Sunday2
The majority in Canada respect the value of enjoying an environment of peace, order, and good government where they live and the respect the rights of people to demonstrate for change through the democratic processes that protect us all. This is not a right respected by anarchists who act by denying freedom to fellow citizens and seek replacement of democracy with autocracy.
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