But now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invoked a rarely-used law to crack down on a peaceful protest he simply disagrees with, you likely have a different impression of America's northern neighbor: Maybe Canada isn't so free, after all.
And you'd be right.
Under Trudeau's evoking of the Emergencies Act, state and federal police agencies from around the country have descended on the capital of Ottawa to violently put down the imminently peaceful "Freedom Convoy" protest against his inane, pointless COVID vaccine mandate for truckers. And in addition to destroying the fundamental right of citizens to redress their grievances to government, a right first recognized by America's founding fathers, police are also targeting another fundamental liberty: The free press.
According to Canada-based Rebel News, one of the outlet's reporters on the ground was threatened with arrest for the 'crime' of covering the demonstration and the resulting police crackdown:
The newly-invoked Emergencies Act gives authorities extraordinary powers to seize the assets and bank accounts of protesters, as well as new powers of arrest and detention to deal with those participating in now 'unlawful' protests.
Instead of allowing media to capture the detentions of the Convoy for Freedom to Ottawa demonstrators and the seizure of their properties, the Ottawa Police service has offered to also detain members of the media for doing their jobs.
A tweet from Ottawa Police said: "All media who are attending the area, please keep a distance and stay out of police operations for your safety. Anyone found within areas undergoing enforcement may be subject to arrest. There will be a media availability later..."
All media who are attending the area, please keep a distance and stay out of police operations for your safety. Anyone found within areas undergoing enforcement may be subject to arrest. There will be a media availability later today at 474 Elgin Street. #ottnews
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 18, 2022
Needless to say, the Ottawa Police announcement was met with anger and derision online.
Threatening to arrest reporters who cover your crackdown on political dissidents.
Amazing.
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) February 18, 2022
"Media please keep away. Your state-approved talking points will be provided at a later press conference"
— Allan (@AllanRicharz) February 18, 2022
Under EA, police have no authority to arrest anyone who “resides, works or is moving through that area for reasons other than to participate in or facilitate the assembly.” The same force that failed to enforce laws for three weeks, now threatens to illegally arrest journalists.
— Evan Dyer (@EvanDyerCBC) February 18, 2022
The Ottawa Secret Police have issues with being reported on. How surprising.
Shame. I can remember when Canada was a free country.
— Will Collier (@willcollier) February 18, 2022
What don’t you want the public to see?
— Cpt America_CFC (@Wolfey79) February 18, 2022
No. This is flawed. I can appreciate the reasons, but the end result will simply be that you are left with people holding cell phones and livestreaming it all anyway and no one with some sort of journalistic integrity trying to tell the story.
— LJ (@meanreus) February 18, 2022
Hmm, rounding up the media. This sounds familiar. Very 1930s Russia.
— Jacob Airey (@realJacobAirey) February 18, 2022
Translation: We're going to be doing things, that we're not suppose too. We don't want you filming it, and putting it out there, for the world or Canadians to see.
— Jeff Felton ??? (@Mukilteo1) February 18, 2022
Sounds like media blackout... don't want video proof of what is really going on?
— Anita ??? (@MuskokaBeauty) February 18, 2022
In recent days, Trudeau has literally said he did not agree with the Freedom Convoy protest but he had no problem with Black Lives Matter demonstrations that turned violent and caused property damage in 2020. That should tell you all you need to know about this China-loving tyrant.
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