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Canada declares State Emergency due to ongoing trucker protest in Ottawa.
On 15th January Canada’s federal government enacted new covid 19 restrictions that all truckers must be vaccinated to cross the US-Canada border and unvaccinated truckers should stay in one week quarantine after returning from the US. After introducing these new restrictions, truckers started a movement called “Freedom Truck Convoy” against the government asking the Canadian government to withdraw all the covid19 restrictions and mandates.
Protesters from the past one week gathered in central Ottawa near Parliament Hill and paralyzed the capital city of Canada by stopping the movement of vehicles. Protesters are opposing the government of Justin Trudeau and demanding the government to end all covid19 mandates nationwide.
Last weekend thousands of protesters joined the others at the capital city of Canada and caused public nuisance around the parliament and disturbed the residents who were living around the parliament. Speaking to the Canadian radio Station mayor said that “the protesters were behaving insensitively by continuously blaring horns and sirens, setting off fireworks and turning into a party”
The survey was conducted by the Canadian government as to how many citizens want the government to withdraw covid19 mandates. Polls by abacus suggested 68 % of Canadian’s were not supporting protesters only 32% had prayers common to the protesters. 80% of the Canadian population is vaccinated and they want the Canadian government to issue further restrictions on nonvaccinated people.
The Canadian government was trying to solve the matter peacefully but the protester’s extreme activities compelled the government to declare a state emergency. Extreme activities of the protesters which led to the present situation are:
- Protesters threatened the residents who were following the covid19 measures
- Many people joined the protesters in the weekend and started behaving insensitively and by continuously blaring horns and Sirens created Public Nuisance
- Redlight violations, driving on the sidewalk, stunt driving, and suspended licenses
- Fireworks on the national war memorial, one of the protesters danced on the tomb of the soldier in a national war memorial.
- Protesters sending threats to officials
- Armed police seized hundreds of gallons of fuel which was supplied to protesters
All these extreme activities of the protesters compelled the Canadian government to declare a state emergency. Jim Watson said the city was “losing the battle” and “completely out of control”. He added stating that the protests posed a threat to residents’ safety so “this has to be reversed”- we have to get our city back”. Canada officials have identified the organization GoFundMe which was providing funds to the protesters and made sure the website of the organization will be ineffective.
A state emergency will give extra powers to the city which gives the police officials access to the equipment required by frontline workers and emergency services and police officials also informed that they will arrest any person who will be supporting the protesters by giving fuel and food. Hence state emergency was necessary to protect the interest of the citizens from protesters.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino stated that “we cannot allow an angry crowd to reverse a course that continues to save lives in this last stretch “of the pandemic. He also stated that “this should never be a precedent for how to make policy in Canada”.
To conclude state emergency in Canada was very much necessary because the protesters are carrying extreme acts which will affect the citizens of Canada and they were out of control and officials were outnumbered but now has the state declared a state emergency the state officials have access to powers through which they can take control over the city and protect the citizens.
