Canada: Trudeau vows to freeze bank accounts of truckers protesting COVID vaccine mandate

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an unprecedented step to invoke the Emergencies Act to clamp down the truckers' protest against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Trudeau has said that the response to anti-mandate protests in Canada would be “time-limited”, “reasonable and proportionate” and would not see the deployment of the military.

According to the BBC, banks would be able to freeze personal accounts of anyone linked with the protests even in the absence of a court order. The latest move by the Canadian government came as hundreds of demonstrators are still present in Ottawa. Earlier on Sunday, the law enforcement managed to clear the crucial US-Canada trade pathway, the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor after the demonstrators barred the road for a week.

In a news conference on Monday, Trudeau said, “This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people's jobs”. The Canadian PM also said that the police would be provided “more tools” to either imprison or fine the protesters to protect the critical infrastructure. He also elaborated that the legislation would be applied only temporarily and that too, in a highly specific manner. 

Bank accounts, vehicle insurance of protesters can be suspended

As per the report, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said at Monday’s news conference that apart from banks being able to freeze accounts of people linked to the anti-mandate protests, vehicle insurance of any individual involved in the demonstrations can also be suspended. Freeland said they were broadening Canada’s “Terrorist Financing” in a bid to cover cryptocurrencies and other crowdfunding platforms.

She said, “It's all about following the money”. It is to note that the Emergencies Act, authorised in Canada, was passed back in 1988. The legislation demands a high legal bar to be invoked, as per the report. It can be used in an “urgent and critical situation” that “seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians”. 

But, lawful demonstrations do not qualify. Speaking also on Monday, Canada's Justice Minister David Lametti had argued these conditions had been met. Meanwhile, Ottawa protest leader Tamara Lich dismissed the move by Trudeau’s government and told AP, “There are no threats that will frighten us. We will hold the line”.

(Image: AP)