Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a state of emergency in the province Friday in response to weekslong protests against COVID-19 restrictions in two of the province’s major cities.
The state of emergency will make it illegal to block key parts of the city’s infrastructure such as bridges, highways, airports, ports, and railways. Those who do not obey the new order could face a fine of up to CA$100,000 and up to one year in prison.
“While these emergency orders will be temporary, we have every intention to bring new legislation forward that will make these measures permanent in law. We are taking the steps necessary to support our police as they do what it takes to restore law and order,” Ford said at the news conference.
ONTARIO COURT FREEZES CROWDSOURCED DONATIONS TO FREEDOM CONVOY
Ford said the protests in Ottawa have gone on “too long” and referred to the events in the city as a “siege.”
“We are now two weeks into the siege of the city of Ottawa. I call it a ‘siege’ because that is what it is. It’s an illegal occupation,” Ford said. “This is no longer a protest. With a protest, you peacefully make your point and you go back home, and I know that the vast majority of people did that … My message to those still in Ottawa, to those at our border crossings, please go home.”
The protests, which draw the largest crowds on the weekends, have continued during the week, blocking the streets and disrupting traffic flow enough that some businesses have been forced to close, much to Ford’s displeasure.
“To those who have attempted to disrupt our way of life by targeting our lifeline for food, fuel, and goods across our borders, to those trying to force a political agenda through disruption, intimidation, and chaos, my message to you is this,” Ford said. “Your right to make a political statement does not outweigh the right of hundreds of thousands of workers to earn their living.”
Ford confirmed Thursday that the province can legally stop the cash flow into the protest after a judge granted a court order to stop the money raised on fundraising platforms such as GoFundMe and GiveSendGo. While the latter has been steadfast in its desire to deliver the more than $8 million raised on the platform to the truckers, GoFundMe shut down its own fundraiser and said it would refund the donors’ money, a reversal from its previous pledge to donate the funds to charity.
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The anti-coronavirus-protocols “Freedom Convoy” of truckers has been protesting throughout Ottawa for two weeks as drivers rail against mask mandates, vaccine mandates for crossing back into Canada from the United States, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the pandemic. Ottawa already declared a state of emergency last week, when the protests crossed the two-week mark. Those protesting in Windsor started Monday, and smaller protests have erupted in Toronto and Quebec City.
U.S. officials have called for an end to the protest, as the blockade on the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor prevents trade between the countries. Toyota, Ford, and General Motors have had to cancel some operations because of truckers’ inability to get the parts manufactured in Canada, according to the New York Times.
