Ottawa, Feb. 22 (BNA): The Canadian Parliament has backed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke emergency powers that are rarely used to end epidemic-related protests that have closed streets in the capital, Ottawa, for more than three weeks.
The emergency law was approved in Parliament by 185 votes to 151, and the minority liberal government gained support from the left-leaning New Democrats, Reuters reports.
The special measures, which Trudeau announced a week ago, were seen by some opposition politicians as unnecessary and an abuse of power.
Over the weekend, Canadian police brought life back to normal in Ottawa. Protesters initially wanted to end cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers, but the occupation turned into a broader demonstration against Trudeau and his government. Protesters closed the two busiest land crossings between Canada and the United States for six days, disrupting trade.
Earlier on Monday, Trudeau told reporters that his government still needed temporary emergency powers, citing “real concerns” about threats in the coming days. “This state of emergency is not over,” Trudeau said. “There are still real concerns about the days ahead.”
The law gives the authorities broader powers. Read more
Police spent two days evacuating protesters from downtown Ottawa, making 191 arrests and towing 79 vehicles by the time the operation ended on Sunday.
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Trudeau also called on people to work together, saying “we don’t know when this pandemic will end, but that doesn’t mean we can’t begin to recover as a nation.”
Some members of the official opposition Conservative Party accuse Trudeau of abusing his powers. Lawmaker Dean Allison denounced what he called “authoritarian military actions” against the demonstrators.
Green Party member Mike Morris, who voted against the motion, said protesting the act was an “inappropriate” response to the failure of police action.
“As many other parliamentarians have shared, the use of the emergency law sets a worrying precedent for future protests,” he said.