The federal government on Tuesday released the order that activates emergency measures in Canada. This document, which will be submitted to parliamentary debate, details the extent and the reasons justifying the reasons why Ottawa is bringing out the heavy artillery in order to tackle the movement against health measures which is blocking the capital and certain border crossing points of the country.
Fear of an escalation of violence. The federal government judges that the blockades of angry truckers in recent weeks “are linked to activities that seek to encourage the use of serious violence or threats of violence against persons or property, including critical infrastructure, in the purpose of achieving a political or ideological objective in Canada. He also believes that the safety of Canadians is threatened by a “level of unrest” that could escalate and turn violent.
This is the most surprising aspect of the legal document, according to constitutional expert Benoît Pelletier. “For me, it’s a surprise. It reveals that the government fears an escalation, ”says the man who is also a law professor at the University of Ottawa.
So far, the “freedom convoy” in Ottawa has been marked by a busy downtown that has annoyed the neighborhood and seen hate symbols among a hodgepodge of causes. With the exception of the large arms seizure in Coutts, Alberta, protests across the country have been peaceful. “There is probably information that is kept confidential for national security reasons,” says Benoît Pelletier.
A risk for the economy. the blocking of critical infrastructure threatens economic security in Canada, the government decree notes, and in particular when blocking “trade routes and [des] international border crossings”. Ottawa is also concerned about the breakdown of distribution chains, which could compromise the delivery of essential foodstuffs “if blockages continue or increase in number. »
This is also the reading of Manufacturers and Exporters of Quebec. Its CEO, Véronique Proulx, on Tuesday welcomed the invocation of emergency measures, under the pretext that “these disruptions affect our businesses and the Canadian economy. »
Deterioration of the relationship with the United States. Canada believes that the blocking of truckers risks making it look bad in front of the main customer of its exports. The decree justifies the emergency measures by “the harmful effects resulting from the blockages on the relations that Canada maintains with its trading partners, in particular the United States. »
On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rightly promised United States President Joe Biden “swift action to enforce the law,” according to the report released by the White House. The blocking of a cross-border bridge in Windsor then caused occasional plant closures.
which will be prohibited. Since Tuesday evening, and for a period of 30 days, the government has given special powers to the country’s police forces, in addition to giving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) the right to enforce provincial laws or municipal regulations. However, the federal government does not direct the police forces of other levels of government.
It is now specifically prohibited “to hold public gatherings that intend to impede the movement of people and goods”, disrupt commerce or obstruct essential infrastructure. It is also illegal to travel to participate in such a gathering, or to bring children there. Violators face a $5,000 fine and up to 5 years in prison. Permanent residents in Canada risk having their status revoked.
Finally, Ottawa prohibits any support for the participants of the blockades, such as providing them with equipment, gasoline or funding. Special requirements apply to crowdfunding platforms and banks. They will have to report “suspicious transactions” to the authorities and can freeze accounts without a court order.
Where the measures apply. Emergency measures are geographically limited to the vicinity of certain “critical infrastructure” in Canada, dictates a regulation filed on Tuesday but which was not yet published in the evening.
However, senior government officials said on a conference call that airports, ports, hospitals, trade corridors, power plants, Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the Prime Minister’s official residences, government buildings and military installations are places designated as “protected”, regardless of where they are in the country.
Any disturbance of these places is prohibited, which even includes driving near them slowly in a convoy, for example. The RCMP now has the power to requisition towing companies to force the movement of vehicles.