According to Reuters News Agency, on February 14, “Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 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 act gives the government temporary powers it does not normally have, such as the power to impose special restrictions on public assembly and travel, and to mobilize federal support for local and provincial police. It gives the federal government power to implement temporary measures to ensure safety and security during national emergencies.”

Ottawa’s police chief shed some additional light on what these “measures to ensure safety” looks like. According to The National Post, “‘We will actively look to identify you’: Ottawa police chief warns departed protesters.”

‘“If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges,’ Ottawa police tweeted Sunday. A day earlier, interim Police Chief Steve Bell was asked whether police would continue to go after those protesters who had remained in Ottawa, even if they chose to go home at some point.”

‘“The simple answer is yes,’ he said, adding the investigation would go on for ‘months to come.’”

Okay, Heinrich Himmler Jr.!

And Trudeau has the nerve to call the protesters Nazis?!

This doesn’t sound like a “temporary” emergency act to me.

‘“You have my commitment that that investigation will continue and we will hold people accountable for taking our streets over,’ Bell said.”

“At the Ottawa police press conference Saturday, Bell noted there are different streams to the ongoing investigations, from ‘a federal financial level, from a provincial licensing level, from a Criminal Code level, from municipal breach of court order, breach of court injunction level. It will be a complicated and time-consuming investigation that will go on for a period of time.’”

Reuters continues, “A declaration of a public welfare emergency allows the government to regulate the distribution of essential goods, decide what are essential services, and impose fines on violations of the act.”

“Banks and financial institutions will be able to temporarily freeze the accounts of those suspected of supporting the blockades, without obtaining a court order.”

“WITHOUT OBTAINNG A COURT ORDER!”

“The insurance on vehicles being used in the protests can also be suspended.”

“Trudeau said the measures would be ‘geographically specific and targeted only to where they are needed.’ They will also be ‘time limited.’”

Really? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see about that.

Even as I’m writing this blog, “Canada’s parliament backed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke rarely-used emergency powers to end pandemic-related protests that have blocked streets in the capital Ottawa (for three more weeks).”

“The Emergencies Act was approved in parliament by 185 to 151, with the minority Liberal government getting support from left-leaning New Democrats.”

You can always count on the democrats (in Canada and the U.S.) to get behind anything that limits freedom and gives more power to the federal government.

I’ll be keeping you posted.

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