OTTAWA, 18 February 2022, (TON): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “he had sought emergency powers to end protests that blocked border crossings and central Ottawa because the standoff posed an economic threat that was hurting ties with the United States.”

Authorities have promised to clear out hundreds of truckers who have paralyzed central Ottawa, an act Trudeau had earlier called a threat to democracy.

A video by a CBC reporter showed two buses of police arriving in the central core of Ottawa, although there was no immediate sign of a move to clear protesters.

Police started to erect fencing around some government buildings. Trudeau invoked the little-used Emergencies Act on Monday, giving his Liberal government a wide range of additional temporary powers. read more

Trudeau told the House of Commons “the blockades and occupations are illegal. They’re a threat to our economy, the relationship with trading partners, they’re a threat to supply chains and the availability of essential goods like food and medicine.”