Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says calling in the military to end the trucker convoy standoff in Ottawa is “not in the cards right now,” nor does he have any plans to engage with the few hundred protesters remaining camped out on city streets.
“There were questions a couple of years ago around military when it came to other protests that were blocking critical infrastructure. My answer then, is consistent with my answer now, that one has to be very, very cautious before deploying military in situations engaging Canadians,” Trudeau told reporters on Thursday.
“It is not something that anyone should enter in lightly, but as of now, there have been no requests, and that is not in the cards right now.”
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With protesters now parked on Wellington Street for almost a full week, calls have revved up for the federal government to intervene in recent days.
From suggestions the RCMP should be playing a more prominent role, to whether specific federal financial aid could be offered to businesses that have had to shut their doors due to the risks associated with the demonstration, city officials have been putting pressure on Trudeau to do more.
Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said Wednesday that all options “for the resolution of this demonstration” are on the table, from a court injection to potentially calling in the Canadian Armed Forces, a move that’s rarely been taken in the history of civilian demonstrations in this country.
In response to this suggestion, a spokesperson for the minister of national defence said in a statement that “the Canadian Armed Forces are not involved in this situation, and there are no plans for such CAF involvement.”
Trudeau said Thursday that the government will respond to any formal requests from either the city or the province, but at this point the government’s focus is on supporting the Ottawa residents who have had their lives upended by the incessant honking and reported instances of harassment.
New interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen has also been leading calls from the Official Opposition benches for Trudeau to listen to the protesters’ wide-ranging list of grievances to make them “feel like they’ve been heard.”
Many participants in the ongoing protest have expressed a clear hatred for the prime minister and a desire to see him removed from office, both in what they’ve said during the demonstrations and through the signs lining the fence in front of Parliament Hill.
On Thursday, Trudeau gave no indication his positxjmtzywion has changed when it comes to meeting or negotiating with any convoy participants in order to have them leave.
He said that Canadians had their voices heard on vaccine mandates during the last federal election, and his government has no intention of reversing course now.
“Having a group of people who disagree with the outcome of an election who want to go a different way and bring in an alternative government is a non-starter in a responsible democracy,” he said.
RELATED IMAGESview larger image
Protesters participating in a cross-country truck convoy protesting measures taken by authorities to curb the spread of COVID-19 and vaccine mandates gather near Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Signs are seen along Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill where the trucker convoy protest is parked, on Feb. 2, 2022. (CTV News / Rachel Aiello)
