Emergency situation 'not over' PM Trudeau says after police crackdown in the capital

Invoking the Emergencies Act has been necessary, but the situation that prompted it is 'not something we ever want to see again,' nor is it over, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday.

Asked whether the wide-spanning national emergency powers are still required, given the blockades at border crossings have been alleviated and downtown Ottawa is quiet and largely free from trucks or convoy protesters after a weekend of massive police operations, Trudeau said he doesn’t want to keep the Act in effect “a single day longer” than it needs to be.

“This state of emergency is not over. There continues to be real concerns about the coming days. But we will continue to evaluate every single day whether or not it is time,” said the prime minister during a press conference on Monday.

Trudeau thanked the law enforcement agencies from across the country who joined the operations in Ottawa and noted that the last few weeks have been difficult, “disturbing,” and stressful for many Canadians.

“This situation is not anything anyone wanted and, quite frankly, is not something we ever want to see again,” Trudeau said.