Ottawa's interim police chief, Steve Bell is committed to ending the protest in his city, saying this upcoming weekend in Ottawa won't be like the past few. Bell says, "I can't place any timelines on when it will culminate, but I tell you it will be a very different picture this weekend than it has the previous three weekends.
Ottawa police say they are securing downtown and those who live and work there are only allowed to enter. Police would not say if any arrests or seizures were made on Thursday.
Inside the House of Commons, a heated debate ensued over the Trudeau government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act. Interim Conservative leader, Candice Bergen believes the demonstrators would have moved on if only the prime minister would have listened and said, "we would not be here today invoking an Emergencies Act, which is a sledgehammer on all Canadians." Trudeau stands by the decision saying, "the Emergencies Act is subject to the charter rights and freedoms and the measures are proportional, measured and responsible and designed to get Canadians their lives back."
While the official opposition questions the legitimacy of the measure, federal officials say they are needed to cut off the financing for those protestors. Half of that money, Trudeau says, comes from the U.S.
Deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland wouldn't say how many personal and corporate accounts were seized because of not wanting to jeopardize investigators' work. Public safety minister Marco Mendicino says the emergency order will stay on to prevent further blockades.
The act and its new powers took effect Monday but the House of Commons and the senate must both vote to confirm the use of the act. If the motion fails, the act will be suspended immediately.
