Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the Incident Response Group and ministers on Saturday to address the illegal blockades that have been ongoing for several days across the country.
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“I convened the Incident Response Group once more today to discuss illegal occupations and blockades. We will ensure that municipal, provincial and federal authorities have what it takes to lift the blockades and protect public safety, ”wrote Mr. Trudeau in the evening on his Twitter account.
The responsible ministers thus pledged to make available “all appropriate federal resources to maintain public order” following the announcement made the day before by the Ontario government, which declared a state of emergency and promised heavy sanctions once morest offenders.L
The measures put in place since Saturday morning at the Ambassador Bridge, in Ontario, were also discussed, while no significant progress to expel the demonstrators had been observed during the day.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) also provided updates regarding ongoing blockades at the Coutts, Alberta and Emerson, Manitoba border crossings.
Steps have also been taken by Ottawa to provide resources to protect essential infrastructure, such as airports, railways or ports, from any disruption.
“The prime minister has made it clear that border crossings cannot and will not remain closed, and that all options are open,” the minutes read.
The group must hold a new meeting on Sunday to continue to take stock of the situation.
Recall that the Prime Minister had mentioned Friday that the intervention of the army would be an option of “last resort”, while the demonstrators continued to block several key points, including the federal capital.
