To put an end to truckers’ strike, the Trudeau Government has invoked the infamous National Emergencies Act. But the protest against governments’ strict Covid curbs is inspiring many to protest in some countries around the world. It has already started in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and New Zealand, etc. Last week, central Paris witnessed demonstrators blocking the traffic, but the city police dispersed them with tear gas all around the capital city
Canada’s Freedom Convoy (CFC) began at the end of January in Ottawa, the country’s capital city, as an objection to a vaccine mandate that requires the truckers entering Canada to be either fully vaccinated or face testing and undergo quarantine restrictions.
Coincidentally, other protesters joined in to raise their objections against the mask mandate, lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings and other Covid-19 preventive measures.
However these demonstrations are less a reaction to Covid-19 mandates and more a clear reflection of the pandemic-related reactions imposed by the Canadian Government for over two years now. The reality is that some new restrictions have been brought in and others lifted in ways which have not always made convenient for the ordinary Canadians.
The protest has strongly highlighted genuine concerns and apprehensions about how the Covid-19 has upended lives with conspiracy theories and probably racist extremism in some parts.
Many Canadians believe that this movement is partly financed from abroad.
Many of the demonstrators displayed the banners of former US President Donald Trump and the historic Confederate Flag. This Flag is sometimes believed to have represented “white supremacy, pro-racism, slavery and hatred”.
This concept of the Confederate Flag, as depicted on the first Confederate Flag (1862-63), was to show the secession of the 11 Southern States from the Union and the Northern States of America. But later on two more States joined which forced to change the design of the flag to be a blue cross or the X with 13 white stars in 1863-65. This final act of rebellion is what led to the American Civil War from 1861-65 during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
Why should the Justin Trudeau Government consider the truckers’ demands seriously? Simply, the protesters are not just mirroring a single catalogue of grievance though it may seem so. What is shocking for the whole world is that only a few dozen truckers and a few hundred protesters brought the country’s capital city to a standstill. Besides, the chaos has literally closed down some of the critical border crossings with the neighbouring US. This has finally throttled the auto industry that solely depends on the constant transport communication between America and Canada.
Why is the stir spreading globally? It is inspiring many to protest in some countries around the world. It has already started in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, etc. Last week, central Paris witnessed demonstrators blocking the traffic, but the city police dispersed them with tear gas all around the capital city.
However, the authorities in Paris and Brussels announced a ban on such freedom convoys. Meanwhile, the French Government has deployed around 7,200 police officers and gendermas (the French Military Police). New Zealand and Australia are also experiencing Canada style Freedom Convoy’s.
Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, has witnessed hundreds of motorists and other protesters taking part in the demonstrations. Many of them are camping outside the Parliament building demanding immediate end to the restrictions imposed in regard to Covid-19. Meanwhile thousands turned to “Convoy to Canberra” rally outside Australia’s Parliament building.
As per the estimate of the Australian police, around 10,000 gathered as part of the “Convoy to Canberra” rally wherein the large sections of them are shouting against the recent Covid-19 mandates in the country.
Many people are gradually joining the Canberra Convoy as they feel they have lost more than they can tolerate by now. The California truckers tired of Covid-19 mandates are expected to join a Freedom Convoy to Washington DC next week. The organisers say the American truckers’ movement dubbed as “The People’s Convoy” will highlight almost the same kind of issues like the Canadian truckers and citizens. The truckers headed towards the capital city are demanding an end to the Emergency Powers Act, concerning the pandemic and to restore the nation’s constitution.
The organisers of the Convoy wrote on the Facebook, “It is about our rights, as well as the freedom of future generations. It is not about political parties, but more so about a government that has forgotten its place and has no regard for our founding father’s instructions.”
Also the group believes that the elected representatives lack the authority to deprive people of their fundamental rights by implementing Covid-19 restrictions.
What do Trudeau’s national emergency measures indicate or mean? Now to finally put an end to the truckers’ strike, the Trudeau Government has invoked the infamous National Emergencies Act. He declared the rare Emergencies Act to quell the protests by the truckers and other Opposition groups across Canada.
The Federal Government of Canada has never before invoked this obscure piece of disaster and emergency law. This act provides additional tools to the Central Government to handle crisis-related activities. For example, this will allow the Ottawa to manage situations as they unfold, take extra-ordinary actions that are time-bound, and finally can deploy calculated use of out-of-the ordinary vast governmental powers.
Clearly speaking, he has made all arrangements to push the protesters to the fringes at any cost. And the world has now come to know that Trudeau will not compromise on anything to safeguard the national security of the country. Thus, while addressing the nation, he said, “This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people’s jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions.”
In fact, he asked the protesters to go home without addressing their issues. He said, “The blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety. We can’t and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue.”
This indeed indicated what was there in his mind and what he intended to do with the protesting truckers and other demonstrators. The Government is also using the Emergencies Act to track those who are currently supporting the protesters. Indeed the Government is also giving enough powers to the financial institutions like the banks to suspend or freeze personal or corporate accounts that are used for funding these illegal protests. The Canadian authorities have already made it public that half the funding is sourced from neighbouring US. To Trudeau, this Act will strengthen the police’s ability to impose fines and even imprisonment for protesters who blockade borders. Further this will also grant them the power to tow vehicles.
After the invoking of the Emergencies Act, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association says the Government had not met the standards for invoking the Emergencies Act which is intended to deal with threats to “sovereignty, security and territorial integrity”.
When Trudeau held meetings with his Liberal Caucus and the Premiers of the provinces this week, he did not get favourable responses from all of them. Following the meeting, the Premiers of Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Saskatchewan loudly spoke out against the Emergencies Act.
It is to be noted here that the Emergencies Act of 1988 is a part of the Revised Statutes of Canada. This kind of laws is reserved for use under rare occasions. In more than 30 years, no Canadian Government has determined that any disaster whether natural or man-made has created such emergency to invoke this Act. So many are criticising Trudeau for his hidden dictatorial move. In 1970, Trudeau’s father and then Prime Minister Pierre invoked the War Measures Act and brought the military into the street to counter terrorist attacks. But decision was considered as one of the most controversial one in his 15-year long career as a PM.
It is good that by this time, the Canadian authorities have cleared the Ambassador Bridge between the US and Canada, the busiest land crossing in North America which had been blocked by the demonstrators for several days. But the downtown Ottawa has been under siege for more than a fortnight now.
The copycat protests in the lines of Ottawa reflect growing anger of some sections of society against their governments. And many political analysts feel that many governments may find it really difficult to put off such disparate demonstrations though their grievances are different from one another except the Covid-related issues.
The literal gridlock that has gripped the nation’s capital may lead to the resignation of Trudeau. The Conservatives have already latched onto a freedom-oriented approach to unite all against the Prime Minister. Secondly, they are trying to hit hard at his much-vaunted ego. Third, the Conservative politicians finally wanted to bring an end to the punitive, worthless and unwarranted vaccine segregation mandates and emergency directives.
Trudeaus’ Liberal Canada is telegraphing to the world that it will not tolerate any disruption of public life by the truckers. Thus, he has imposed the emergency order. However, with this movement Canada is moving fast towards an unwelcome global spotlight. Surely, it would be too difficult for Trudeau, his Liberal Party and other sections of the Canadian political class to shrug off just as an ordinary upheaval.
Of course, the demonstrators are a tiny section of its population as the country has already vaccinated more than 80 per cent of its people. Looking at the current impasse, an immediate rapprochement between the Trudeau Government and the Freedom Convoy seems impossible. Canada’s usually sleepy capital is facing the worst of the crisis in recent years. How Trudeau’s calm, reassuring and trademark delivery style would help him come out of the Freedom Convoy is going to be worth watching.
(Dr Makhan Saikia has taught political science and international relations for over a decade in institutions of national and international repute after specialisation in globalisation and governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He is the chief editor of the Journal of Global Studies, an international research journal)
