Freedom Convoy: Trudeau ends national emergency after 9 days
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday that he was ending the national emergency he'd declared nine days earlier to deal with the Freedom Convoy protests against Canada's COVID-19 policies, The Washington Post reported.
"Today, after careful consideration, we're ready to confirm that the situation is no longer an emergency. Therefore, the federal government will be ending the use of the Emergencies Act. We are confident that existing laws and bylaws are now sufficient to keep people safe," Trudeau said.
Per the Post, this was a shift for Trudeau, who said Monday that even though the protests had been dealt with, he still worried that new blockades might develop and that "protesters might be regrouping … outside Ottawa."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Police moved in over the weekend to break up protests that had clogged streets and disturbed Ottawa residents with loud honking for three weeks, arresting nearly 200 people. Tow truck drivers, who under the terms of the Emergency Act could be compelled to cooperate with law enforcement, towed away more than 50 vehicles.
Protesters in other parts of Canada had blockaded border crossings in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario.
Canada's Parliament voted Monday night to approve the invocation of the Emergencies Act, but debate leading up to the vote was fiery. One MP from the country's Conservative Party accused Trudeau of a "massive power grab," while others shouted "Dictator!"
Trudeau's government also used its emergency powers to freeze hundreds of bank accounts associated with the protests, though The New York Times reported that by Tuesday, most of those were "in the process of being unfrozen."
According to Reuters and CBC, Canada's federal government and the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ottawa, and Quebec have all relaxed COVID restrictions since the protests began.
Trudeau is the second prime minister in Canadian history to declare an emergency during peacetime. The first was his father, Pierre Trudeau.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Israel concedes it may not be able to destroy Hamas
Speed Read Despite five months of war in Gaza, Israeli intelligence officials admit the militant group eludes them
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump gets $289M break, first criminal trial date
Speed Read The former president's fraud bond has been reduced to $175 million from $464 million
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US-Israel rift widens after UN cease-fire resolution
Speed Read The U.S. declined to veto a U.N. resolution calling for a two-week "immediate cease-fire" in Gaza
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New Jersey first lady exits race to replace Menendez
Speed Read Tammy Murphy dropping out paves the way for Rep. Andy Kim to become the state's next senator
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia blames Ukraine for deadly ISIS Moscow attack
Speed Read Putin has ignored the Islamic State's claim of responsibility for the concert hall shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump-RNC pact puts Trump legal bills ahead of GOP
Speed Read The former president has struck a deal with the Republican National Committee to put donations toward his legal bills
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'A wonky bureaucratic tweak has dramatically changed how Americans drive'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published