Canada: PM Trudeau invokes emergency powers to deal with protests

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked never before used emergency ordinance in a bid to quash protests that have brought the capital city Ottawa to a near standstill.

For the past two weeks, hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters in trucks and other vehicles have blocked the streets of Ottawa, as they vented their frustration over vaccine mandates and other virus-related restrictions.

As a result, Trudeau conducted a meeting with the country's provincial leadership and announced the measures in a national address.

"The Federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations... 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... This is about keeping Canadians safe," Trudeau told a news conference.

"The blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety," said Trudeau. "We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue."

What is the Emergencies Act?

The Emergencies Act is an unprecedented measure and grants government greater authority to deal with matters deemed to be a national emergency.

It was passed in 1988 and must only be invoked if the situation exceeds the capabilities of existing measures.

The act grants police greater power and more resources to deal with illegal protests and come into effect immediately.

While the scope of the act covers the entire country, the measures will only apply in areas where they are needed.

When asked whether there would be any military involvement, Trudeau said he would not deal with hypothetical scenarios.

The prime minister did however stress that the move "in no way brings in the military as a solution against Canadians" and that it was about "empowering law enforcement."

The decision comes after the so-called "freedom convoy" converged on the capital city in trucks, demonstrating primarily over COVID-19 regulations.

Illegal occupations the catalyst for emergency measures

The Ambassador Bridge which connects Windsor, Ontario with Detroit in the US was shut down for around a week. It was eventually cleared on Sunday when authorities announced the standoff had come to an end.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has called the protesters a "fringe" of Canadian society, had rejected calls to bring in the military. But his office has said authorities would not hesitate to pull out all the stops, if necessary.