Tom Blakewell
Devon Dispatch, Feb. 16, 2022
With the federal government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act, authorities have broad new powers to try to dislodge the convoy protest that has paralyzed central Ottawa for weeks.
But a surprising wildcard could complicate any move against the demonstration: the dozens of children camped out with them in the streets around Parliament Hill.
Those young people are part of what one observer calls a newly formed truck “fortress.” Not only would they add unusual challenges to an aggressive push by police, they likely have already influenced law enforcement’s non-confrontational approach, experts say.
Regulations released late Tuesday by the government under its Emergencies Act declaration outlaw bringing people under 18 to such a protest, with potential penalties of up to a $5,000 fine and five years in prison.
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