Protests in Canada: Justin Trudeau invokes rarely-used emergency powers

Ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced that he has imposed rarely used emergency powers in a bid to end protests that have shut some border crossings and crippled parts of the capital.

“I want to be very clear about what we are – and are not – doing by invoking the Emergencies Act, and how taking this step will help get the situation under control. In case you missed our announcement earlier today,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter while sharing his speech.

David Lametti, Minister of Justice announced the declaration of a public order emergency under the Emergencies Act, to end disruptions, border blockades and the occupation of Ottawa’s downtown core.

The public order emergency grants the Government the authority to apply the following temporary measures:

 

-Regulating and prohibiting public assemblies, including blockades, other than lawful advocacy, protest or dissent

Regulating the use of specified property, including goods to be used with respect to a blockade

-Designating and securing places where blockades are to be prohibited (e.g. borders, approaches to borders, other critical infrastructure)

-Directing specified persons to render essential services to relieve impacts of blockades on Canada’s economy

Authorizing or directing specified financial institutions to render essential services to relieve the impact of blockades, including by regulating and prohibiting the use of property to fund or support the blockades

-Measures with respect to authorizing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to enforce municipal and provincial laws by means of incorporation by reference

-The imposition of fines orimprisonment for contravening on any of the measures declared under this public order emergency

Officials said that in order to declare a public order emergency, the Emergencies Act requires that there be an emergency that arises from threats to the security of Canada that are so serious as to be a national emergency. Threats to the security of Canada may include the threat or use of acts of serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political or ideological objective.