With the ongoing crackdown on trucker protests in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked emergency powers to give his government wider authority to stop the protests, including sweeping powers to freeze the accounts of those suspected of supporting the blockades, without obtaining a court order, reported news agency Reuters. So far, 206 bank and corporate accounts have been frozen, and one financial institution blocked a "payment processor" account holding $2.98 million invoked the rarely used Emergencies Act, imposing sweeping measures that require banks to freeze accounts linked to the protest without court orders, ask insurers to suspend coverage on vehicles used in blockades, and bring crowdfunding platforms under terror financing oversight, reported the agency.
Hundreds of police in riot gear swept through Canada's capital Saturday, retaking control of the streets around the Parliament buildings and appearing to end the siege of Ottawa after three weeks of protests. Protesters, angry over the country's COVID-19 restrictions and policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, retreated from the largest police operation in the country's history, with police arresting or driving out demonstrators and towing away their trucks.
In Ottawa, Interim Police Chief Steve Bell said that some smaller protests continued but "this unlawful occupation is over. We will continue with our mission until it is complete." While some protesters vowed to stay on Ottawa's streets, one prominent organiser told reporters they had decided to peacefully withdraw." "We will simply regroup as a grassroots movement," Tom Marazzo said at a press conference.
-Inputs from agencies
