Pandemic protests likely to persist, experts say
Protests in Canada and other countries against COVID-19 rules reflect exhaustion among people after two years of the pandemic, experts say.
Eduardo Mackenzie, a political analyst in Paris, told China Daily that while the “pandemic is in a phase of completion”, the protests may persist and even expand if the restrictions on movement remain in place.
Mackenzie’s warning came as Canadian police moved over the weekend to arrest protesters and end the occupation of Ottawa, the country’s capital, a day after a loud but mostly peaceful protest movement turned violent. Police in Ottawa arrested more than 100 people and towed away 21 vehicles on Friday, and followed that up the next day with a further 47 arrests.
While it is unclear how much support the protesters have, opposition to their actions has grown.
Polling from the Innovative Research Group in Toronto has found that 53 percent of Canadians oppose the protests and 59 percent disapprove of the tactics used. Some 46 percent of poll respondents said they strongly disapproved of the tactics of those participating in the so-called Freedom Convoy, compared with just 27 percent in late January.
Canada’s House of Commons on Monday night voted to pass the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act in response to the convoy blockades in Ottawa and at border crossings.
The 185-151 vote was on a motion put forward by the Liberal government that outlined its decision to invoke the emergency powers after the recent protests.
The Emergencies Act can grant temporary additional and necessary powers to the federal government. For example, the federal government can issue or adopt temporary orders and regulations when necessary for tackling a public order emergency, according to the official website of Canada’s Department of Justice.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended the government’s decision at a news conference on Monday morning.
“The situation is not something anyone wanted,” he said, adding that: “We didn’t want to use the Emergencies Act, it’s never something to turn to without serious consideration.”
The protests have inspired similar demonstrations around the world, including in Israel, France, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand.
“Canada has become an example for the world,” said Luis Losada, a political analyst in Spain and director at 7AD, a news program on television.
“People have reacted in defense of their individual rights, which have taken centuries to consolidate and cannot be taken away with the excuse of the pandemic.”
In Australia, some 10,000 protesters against vaccine mandates clogged Canberra, the capital, eventually coming together outside parliament.
In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said on Feb 14 that protesters were using “intimidation and harassment” to get their message across and created chaos in the city of Wellington, the country’s capital.