Truckers' protest 'has to stop,' asserts PM Justin Trudeau
Key Takeaways:
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emerged from his solitary confinement to address an emergency meeting of Canada's House of Commons, insisting that the truckers' strike in Ottawa "has to end."
On Monday evening, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emerged from his isolation and spoke at an emergency session of Canada's House of Commons, insisting that the truckers' strike in Ottawa "has to end."
His attendance at the in-person hearing was an unexpected addition to his schedule. He had previously stated that he would only be available for private meetings in the National Capital Region.
Faced with a barrage of criticism from the opposition for being absent from the country's capital for the past 11 days as the Freedom Convoy 2022 agitation has laid siege to it, Trudeau addressed MPs and said, "Everyone is tired of Covid, but these protests are not the way to get through it."
The prime minister's office provided no updates on whether Trudeau, placed in self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19, had been cleared to physically attend the meeting.
"Canadians have the right to protest, to disagree with their government, and to make their voices heard," Trudeau said on Twitter, referring to the protestors. We will always protect that right. But let's be clear: They don't have the authority to stifle our economy, democracy, or the daily lives of our fellow citizens. It has to come to an end."
Candice Bergen, the leader of the opposition and interim Conservative Party leader, wrote to Trudeau earlier in the day, saying that "leadership is about listening." "Your comments last week were dismissive about a "fringe" with "unacceptable views," she wrote, "and you have been largely absent since then."
The protests were described as "unacceptable" in a joint statement by Bill Blair, Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure as well as Communities, Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board, Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, and Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport.
"They are not beyond the law, no matter how much a small minority believes they are above public health measures," they said.
As the protests gain international attention, law enforcement action has been increased, but the protest organizers have not indicated that they will be disbanded anytime soon.