The Canadian House of Commons voted in favor of the emergency powers granted to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to shut down the protests by hundreds of truck drivers against the vaccine mandates.
The demonstration by the truckers brought Ottawa to a standstill until police officers forcibly removed them and towed their trucks from the city center.
Trudeau invoked the emergency powers for the first time since they were written into law in 1988.
On Monday, a “motion for confirmation of the declaration of emergency” passed with 185 members in favor and 151 members voting in opposition. The motion extends the emergency powers for thirty days.
Civil liberties groups and supporters of the trucker protest have accused Trudeau of using the trucker protest in order to inappropriately extend the powers of government.
The protest had dragged on for three weeks until police in riot gear stormed the demonstration over the weekend. By Sunday, it was largely over after 191 protesters were arrested and over 70 vehicles were towed away. A total of 389 charges were issued against 103 protesters.
“At the borders in different places in the country, the blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety. Critical supply chains have been disrupted. This is hurting workers who rely on these jobs to feed their families,” Trudeau said.
The emergency powers also allowed the government to freeze bank accounts of 76 supporters of the protest.
Trudeau characterized the passage of the measure as a vote of support for his administration.
“I can’t imagine that anyone who votes ‘no’ tonight is doing anything other than indicating that they don’t trust the government to make incredibly momentous and important decisions at a very difficult time,” Trudeau said at a press conference.
The emergency powers will end after 30 days unless they are extended again.
Here’s more about the controversy in Canada:
Trucker protests expose deep divisions in Canada www.youtube.com
