Trudeau's Emergency Powers Are Approved By Canada's Parliament

On Monday, Canada's parliament approved Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to employ rarely-used emergency powers to put a stop to pandemic-related protests that have shut down Ottawa's streets for more than three weeks.

The Emergencies Act was passed by a vote of 185 to 151 in parliament, with the left-leaning New Democrats supporting the minority Liberal administration.

Some opposition MPs have called Trudeau's extraordinary measures, which he unveiled a week ago, unnecessary and an abuse of power.

Over the weekend, Canadian police in Ottawa were able to restore order. Initially, the demonstrators intended to put a halt to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers, but the occupation morphed into a larger anti-Trudeau rally. Protesters shut down the busiest land crossing between the two countries.

Trudeau told reporters earlier on Monday that his government still required temporary emergency powers, citing "serious concerns" about threats in the coming days. "This state of emergency will not be lifted anytime soon. There are still serious concerns about the future days "Trudeau stated the following.

Trudeau also urged people to band together, adding, "We don't know when this pandemic will stop, but it doesn't mean we can't begin to heal as a nation."

Trudeau is accused of abusing his powers by some members of the main opposition Conservative Party. Dean Allison, a legislator, condemned the use of "authoritarian military-style techniques" against the demonstrators.