While the capital Ottawa has been blocked for more than two weeks by protesters opposed to compulsory vaccination and the Canadian government’s health measures against Covid-19, the Premier of Ontario announced on Monday that the vaccine passport would be lifted soon. in his province. At the same time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the exceptional use of the Emergency Measures Act to end the blockages.
“We’re going to drop passports” on March 1, Prime Minister Doug Ford said at a press conference explaining that a large majority of people were vaccinated and that the peak of Omicron had passed. Ottawa, Ont., has become the epicenter of anti-sanitary measures protests over the past two weeks. The protesters demand, among other things, the lifting of sanitary measures.
In Ontario, starting February 17, “we will remove all gauges except in concert halls, theaters and sporting events, which will be capped at 50%,” added Doug Ford. “We are able to accelerate our reopening plan” thanks to the drop in hospitalizations and the number of cases, he said.
A recourse to the law on emergency measures
In the process, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the exceptional use of the Emergency Measures Act to end the “illegal” blockades of anti-sanitary measures protesters that have been underway in the country for more than two weeks. It is only the second time that this provision has been activated in peacetime, the last time dating back to the crisis of 1970 when Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the father of the current Prime Minister was in power.
“The federal government is invoking the Emergency Measures Act to supplement provincial and territorial powers and deal with blockades and occupations,” he said, noting that the military would not be deployed and that new measures would be “limited in time and geographically”. “With this law, the government can requisition goods, services, people. The government can tell people where to go, where not to go. There are really few limits to what the government can do,” explained Geneviève Tellier, professor of political studies at the University of Ottawa.
VIDEO. Canada: Truckers block downtown Toronto to oppose compulsory vaccination
In Ottawa, opponents of health measures still occupy the streets of the city center. Some 400 trucks are installed supported by a well-established organization: tents to warm up, camp fires, food stands… Since the establishment of the state of emergency on Friday, they risk receiving a fine of up to 100 000 Canadian dollars (69,500 euros) or even one year in prison.