Covid, the two trendy progressives Trudeau and Ardern in trouble for the No Vax protests
Justin Trudeau and Jacinda Ardern I am two “cool” faces. Two symbols of the trendy left, of democratic progressivism with a strong rhetoric on civil rights. Well, they, two young leaders of countries elevated to models and happy islands, are going through a very difficult time. And they are even forced, especially Trudeau, to give one turning point “illiberal“to a resume made up of lots of glitter, lots of compliments and few shadows. At least for now.
In Canada it is known that the situation has been at high tension for weeks. But in the last few days, Trudeau has decided to implement a repressive line that few would have expected. Between Friday and Saturday there were about 150 arrests at the end of two days of clashes in Ottawa between police and no-vax truck drivers of the movement. ‘Freedom Convoy’, the Convoy of Freedom, opposed to the vaccination requirement for truck drivers working between Canada and the United States who had stormed the Canadian capital for several days. Many underlined the aggressive work of the police, who in addition to having made a series of charges also used stinging spray. While the use of tear gas has been denied.
Emergency powers and frozen accounts: Trudeau’s illiberal turn in Canada
Canada once seemed immune to the raucous populism that benefited Donald’s rise in 2016 Trump and Brexit. Now it seems to have become a super speaker. Also due to Trudeau’s attitude, he is certainly not devoted to listening. To arouse criticism, even from the Economist (certainly not a No Vax media), the way in which Trudeau has united all those who protest in a single band, emphasizing only the violence and fake news but without giving any room to listen to those who, especially at the beginning, manifested in a peaceful way.
Also surprising was the regulatory arsenal sharpened by Trudeau to hit the demonstrators. Last week Trudeau invoked emergency powers under a 34-year-old law which had never been used before. A law that would allow the government to declare the protests illegal and freeze protesters’ bank accounts without a court order. In recent days, on the other hand, Trudeau had given instructions to Canadian banking institutions and investment companies of freeze the accounts of the demonstrators until they stopped the occupation of the capital and the barricades on the border with the USA.
Meanwhile, the government is thinking about amending the read about hate speech, which according to several analysts are already very stringent. Amendments that would remove protections from defendants for hate speech and at the same time allow for legal complaints as a preventive measure. According to the Economist, the proposed amendments would give illiberal activists the legal tools to harass religious, feminists and many other groups. Or again, it would lead some to be gagged before they even speak. Not quite the liberal paradise that has always been described.
Protests in New Zealand, throwing feces at the police
Far south, in the South Pacific, another progressive leader is having a tough time. It is about Jacina Ardern, premier of New Zealand. She too is accused of anti Covid restrictions. In the past few hours, New Zealand police said they were targeted with human feces by No Vax demonstrators camped for two weeks a Wellington in front of the Parliament building. The police, who were setting up checkpoints around the area before dawn to block the influx of vehicles, clashed with a large number of people.
The connection with Canada is direct. The protest is in fact inspired by Canadian Freedom Convoys and saw 800 vehicles block the streets of the center of the New Zealand capital. The police have deployed about 300 officers to put concrete barricades on the roads to prevent the arrival of other vehicles. Law enforcement officials reported that seven policemen were injured and eight demonstrators were arrested. The protesters who threw human feces at the agents, explains the police note, are at risk up to 14 years in prison for the “deliberate attempt to infect” their targets.
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