PM revokes Emergencies Act now that Ottawa protest is over

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has revoked use of the Emergencies Act now that the protest against COVID-19 restrictions and the Liberal government in downtown Ottawa is over.

On Wednesday, Trudeau said as the protests and blockades continued provinces and municipalities needed more tools to protect Canadians, including invoking the act.

He said laws and bylaws already on the books are sufficient to keep people safe with the protest and blockades over, but extra support will be available to any municipalities and provinces that need it.

Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, which replaced the War Measures Act in 1988, for the first time last week, saying police needed extra help to end blockades that had been ongoing in downtown Ottawa for weeks and had spread to key Canada-U.S. border crossings.