There have been protests in Canada for weeks.
(Photo: AP)
Ottawa Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau puts special powers in place in the face of the trucker protests that have been going on for weeks. He is using emergency powers, including cutting funding, to end the protests, Trudeau announced at a news conference Monday.
“The blockades damage our economy and endanger public safety,” he justified the step. “We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue.” The measures would be “local and only take effect where they are needed”. They are also “limited in time”.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said that all crowdfunding programs and the payment providers they use must now register with Canada’s anti-money laundering agency FINTRAC and report suspicious activity.
“We are making these changes because we know these platforms are being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activities that are hurting Canada’s economy,” Freeland said. Accounts of people suspected of supporting the Freedom Convoy protests could also be temporarily frozen without a court order. In addition, insurance for trucks involved in the blockades would be suspended. Canadian authorities said about half funding for the protests comes from US supporters.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
The 1988 Emergency Act allows the government to override provinces and authorize temporary special measures to ensure national security in the event of national emergencies. The law has only been used once in peacetime, in 1970 by Trudeau’s father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
The demonstrations, sparked weeks ago by the government’s corona measures and vaccination regulations, are now directed against Trudeau’s policies in general, from pandemic restrictions to a carbon tax. During the protests, among other things, the most important trade bridge between Canada and the USA was blocked. Canadian police cleared the blockade on Sunday. Ottawa city center, on the other hand, has been blocked for about three weeks.
More: Coalition settles dispute over combustion cars