The premier of Canada’s biggest province declared a state of emergency, warning protesters choking off traffic at a key U.S. border crossing and causing gridlock in Canada’s capital they face stiff punishment if they don’t leave.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, in a news conference Friday alongside his solicitor general, said the government is enacting new powers to end the blockade, including issuing fines of up to C$100,000 ($78,800) and jail time.
The Ambassador Bridge from Windsor, Ontario into Detroit has been largely closed since Monday night. The conduit carries about one quarter of the commercial trade between the U.S. and Canada. Automakers including General Motors, Ford, Stellantis and Toyota have been forced to curb production.
Ford called the situation “a pivotal moment for our nation” with the “the eyes of the world” watching how Canada and its leaders confront growing public unrest over Covid-19 restrictions and the occupation of its capital city’s downtown core.
“What they are seeing, it’s not who we are,” Ford said. “This is not how we try to change things here in Canada. We do it through the ballot box.”
The new powers Ford announced are temporary under the state of emergency, but he said he intends to enshrine them permanently in legislation. The declaration gives the government authority to shut down institutions and business, limit travel and seize property.
“We will also provide additional authority to consider taking away the personal and commercial licenses of anyone who doesn’t comply with these orders.,” Ford said.
CTV News and other media outlets reported that protesters had agreed Friday morning to clear enough space for a lane of traffic to travel from Detroit into Windsor.
A provincial court will hear a request for an injunction later Friday that would clear the bridge. Should that and other vital trade conduits remain closed by protests, Canada risks suffering a first-quarter economic contraction. Economists also warn that extend supply chain disruptions could further fuel inflation, already at a three-decade high.
The bridge demonstration is an offshoot of protests in Ottawa that began Jan. 28 as a bid to repeal vaccine mandates and other Covid-19 restrictions. The movement has spiraled into a catch-all public outcry against government intrusion under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Copycat demonstrations have taken place in New Zealand and France, and are threatening to spread into the U.S. in coming days.
Ford said the protesters in Ottawa have taken the city “hostage” over the past two weeks, as hundreds of semis and other heavy vehicles remain blockading downtown streets leading up to the federal parliament buildings.
“I call it a siege because that is what it is,” Ford said. “It’s an illegal occupation. This is no longer a protest. With a protest, you peacefully make your point and you go back home.”
(c) 2022, Bloomberg · Brian Platt, Stephen Wicary
{Matzav.com}
mr trudeau – take off your mandates and you won’t have a state of emergency – don’t do what the Americans/Socialists do to their citizens.
“This is no longer a protest. With a protest, you peacefully make your point and you go back home.”
That line says it all. According to the Premier, protests are only to make the people feel good, not to achieve results. Well, guess what, Mr Ford. It’s time to get used to what real protests are. As long as you and your ilk insist on a draconian governing style, the protests will reflect that style. So do the wise thing, squelch your inflated ego and behave as those who elected you expect you to.
Maybe, just maybe, the elected officials should for once, listen to their constituents!
Here it is,enact legislation that premier Fard is an absolute dictaor.If Canadian don’t stand up against this criminal they are in the hands of the nkvd .
And USA isn’t far behind if the progressive criminals have their way. We understand fines ,take away the license of the offending companies,but why close institutions and permanent legislation.
This Fard is dangerous.Not far behind is Dustbin True(false)due.Toras Avigdor said it in late 70 or early 80 the Democrats are going to destroy democracy in America,
““What they are seeing, it’s not who we are,” Ford said. “This is not how we try to change things here in Canada. We do it through the ballot box.””
Same could be said about their Covid shots mandate. They were never elected to do that.
The sheker is wild.
To quote a line from the announcement of Ontario Premier Doug Ford: ” . . . . . and I will convene cabinet to use legal authorities to urgently enact orders that will make CRYSTAL CLEAR it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people and services along critical infrastructure. This will include protecting international border crossings, 400 series highways, airports, ports, bridges, and railways . . . . . ”
What puzzles me is that these most crucial tasks of “moving goods and people and services along the critical infrastructure and across the international border crossings and along the 400 series highways and at airports and ports and over bridges” WERE MOST FAITHFULLY AND SUPERBLY BEING FULLY PERFORMED by all these truck drivers!!!!!!!!!!
But then Trudeau asked Biden here in the US to join them as they enacted for the truck drivers a stiff mandate that, in order to for them to be allowed to keep driving and moving their goods, etc., they must all be “fully vaccinated.” If they declined to take any of the Covid vaccination steps, then they WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to keep driving and moving their goods, etc.
SO, IT IS TRUDEAU AND BIDEN AND THEIR LAKEYS WHO ARE THE ONES WHO ARE BLOCKING AND IMPEDING “THE MOVEMENT OF GOODS, PEOPLE AND SERVICES ALONG THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE” AND ACROSS THE “INTERNATIONAL BORDER CROSSINGS”!!!!!!!!!!!
The above remark from “Moving Goods” is time stamped at 5:29 PM, which is a few minutes after the time of Sh’kia in New York City. So, it is urgent to note that it was written and posted in the PACIFIC TIME ZONE where the time was THREE HOURS EARLIER at 2:29 PM. This remark explaining it is obviously likewise being written and posted in the same Pacific Time Zone where the time is 2:55 PM.
I thought the aforementioned poster was simply flying counter-clockwise around the Earth really really fast.