The extraordinary powers granted by the Emergencies Act raised concerns among some legal experts and regular Canadians as to what the implications are for the right to peacefully protest. The concerns remain even though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who invoked the act on Feb. 14, revoked it on Feb. 23, 10 days later, saying the situation is no longer an emergency.
Jay Riedel, mayor of Roche Percée in southeast Saskatchewan, says he feels freedom ralliers like him have been treated like “terrorists” since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the act on Feb. 14.