Canadian truckers took the West by storm when they formed a convoy and gathered in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions. While the number of protesters was never recorded, estimates from Canadian police are around 8,000. The Canadian police successfully dispersed the protest, however, many supporters of the protest have raised concerns about how the protest was dealt with. Politicians are grappling with the effects of the widely popular protest.
The protest in Canada was a widely popular protest and received much support from conservatives around the world, especially in Canada and America. The Ambassador Bridge, the biggest trade route for automobiles between America and Canada, was blocked by protesters. Because of the protest, an estimated $988 million was lost in the automobile industry because of the trade closures. In Ottawa, traffic was brought to a standstill for nearly two weeks. Even with much support, 53% of Canadians oppose the protest and 59% of Canadians don’t support the tactics of the protesters. However, even with a majority opposing the protest, the convoy dominated the headlines for the impacts of their protest.
On February 14th, the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to clear the protest from Ottawa. The most controversial move by the Prime Minister was the freezing of bank accounts for members and donors to the freedom convoy. This move by the Prime Minister received major pushback from the Conservative Party claiming that it was an abuse of power. After the protests were cleared, Trudeau still stated that Canada was in a public order emergency which left many Canadians outraged at the continuance of the emergency power. Shortly afterward, Trudeau revoked the power.
Many politicians are grappling with the effects of the freedom convoy. Many conservatives claim that the invoking of emergency power over an anti-government protest is unprecedented and undemocratic. MP Pierre Poilievre stated on Twitter “Thank you to all who fought this abuse of power. However, others defend the use of emergency power because of the economic harm. If left unchecked, the protest could have continued to hurt the Ottawa community and the Canadian economy.
Even though the emergency power has been restored, Canadians aren’t too happy. Polls show that while people may not support the freedom convoy, they believe “their frustration is legitimate and worthy of our sympathy.” The freedom convoy has sprung up an American copycat called The People’s Convoy and is protesting COVID-19 policy in D.C.
Sources Used
Canada Ends Emergency Declaration As ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protests Dwindle
Majority of Canadians disagree with ‘freedom convoy’ on vaccine mandates and lockdowns
Canada’s Trudeau ends emergency powers invoked to clear protests | Reuters
Justin Trudeau Invokes Rare Emergency Act to Quell Protests – The New York Times