Canada’s Justin Trudeau defends use of emergency powers against ‘Freedom Convoy’ trucker protests
- The protesters rammed vehicles into police cars and used children as shields, the prime minister testified at a public inquiry
- Trudeau had invoked the rarely used powers to dislodge demonstrations that lasted for weeks, bringing Ottawa to a standstill
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified at a public inquiry on Friday to defend his use of emergency powers to dislodge noisy trucker-led protesters that jammed the capital earlier this year, citing what he called threats of serious violence.
His testimony at the Public Order Emergency Commission wrapped up six weeks of hearings on the rarely used powers, which were invoked in February after weeks of protests that brought Ottawa to a standstill and disrupted trade. Critics have said Trudeau’s use of those powers was excessive.
Trudeau told the inquiry that protesters had rammed vehicles into police cruisers and used children as shields.
He said police were concerned they might be hoarding weapons while Canada’s spy agency warned of “the presence of people promoting ideologically motivated violent extremism” that risked triggering lone wolf attacks.
Tensions rose further when counter-protests popped up, with “grandmothers standing in residential streets against massive trucks”, Trudeau said, raising concerns about Canadians taking matters into their own hands.