Canada imposes state of emergency to stop protests

The Government of Canada announced the introduction of a state of emergency in the country due to the ongoing protests, which began in late January with a strike of truckers unhappy with the current restrictions related to COVID-19. Drivers banded together in a movement called the Freedom Convoy, and on January 29, drivers from across the country converged on Ottawa's Parliament House. The convoy quickly gained popularity, and ordinary residents joined in.

"The federal government is working with the provinces and municipalities to take control of the current situation and put an end to the ongoing illegal blockades and occupations taking place throughout the country," the official statement said.

A public emergency gives the government the authority to impose additional measures, including:

• prohibition of public assemblies, except for legitimate propaganda, protest and expressions of dissent;
• Providing security at places of critical infrastructure that are not allowed to be blocked (e.g., borders and approaches to borders);
• a ban on financing or supporting protests;
• the imposition of fines and arrests for violation of measures imposed in connection with the state of emergency.

The government has already announced that fundraisers in support of protests are prohibited under anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing laws. The following measures will apply:

• Banks and financial institutions must report to the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center of Canada (FINTRAC), and crowdfunding platforms must be registered with FINTRAC and report large and suspicious transactions there;
• Banks can temporarily stop servicing accounts if they suspect that the accounts are being used to raise funds for protests;
• Banks can freeze accounts from which money has been donated to protests, and turn over data about their owners to the police (but the owners will not face civil liability);
• The corporate accounts of companies whose trucks are involved in the protests will be frozen and car insurance will be suspended.

Under Canadian law, a state of emergency is imposed in a critical situation where there is a threat to security, including acts of violence against persons or property in order to achieve political or ideological goals. And it must be a situation that cannot be resolved by other laws. In Ottawa, the state of emergency has been in force since February 6.

The public emergency regime allows the government to issue orders and regulations that it deems necessary to deal with an emergency, but they must be agreed to by the House of Commons and the Senate and be consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The government strongly advised everyone involved in the protest to stop demonstrating. Earlier, police dispersed protesters at the Ambassador Bridge between Canada and the U.S., which carries trade between the countries.

The protests are causing serious damage to Canada's economy. For example, losses from a week-long blockage of the Ambassador Bridge are estimated at $390 million CAD per day.