Trudeau said he had a willingness to discuss with protesters but he did not want to set any “bad precedents” by “legitimizing” the Freedom Convoy.
According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau protests should not be used to change public policy, but then provided an example of when he believes a protest is ok to demand change to public policy.
It was Friday, the last day to the Emergencies Act Inquiry into if the government met the legal challenges and threshold to invoke the Emergencies Act. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the protestors’ demands were “non-starters,” saying that Freedom Convoy protesters at parliament hill in Ottawa wanted to overturn election results.
“Some of their asks are non-starters, like overturning the results of the election we just had. In terms of responding to their demands or legitimizing them by engaging, I’m worried about setting a precedent that setting a blockade on Wellington street can lead to a change of public policy. People need to be heard, but we need to get that balance right,” said the prime minister.
“I don’t want to set any bad precedents,” he added.
Trudeau said that protests should be used to get “messages out there,” but using protests to demand changes of public policy is something he considers “worrisome.” He did say, however, that people could protest things like the government “shutting down safe injection sites or something.”
“I think we have a robust, functioning democracy. Protests, public protests are an important part of making sure we’re getting messages out there and Canadians are getting messages out there and highlighting how the feel on various issues. Using protests to demand changes of public policy is something that I think is worrisome.” said Trudeau.
There was a pause like Justin Trudeau was finished his response then he realized what he had said and wanted expanded on it.
“Although,” he added, “if you’re out protesting that the government is shutting down safe injection sites or something, you are asking for changes in public policy, but there is a difference between occupations and ‘saying we’re not going until this is changed,” in a way that is massively disrupting, and potentially dangerous, versus just saying ‘we’re protesting because we want public policy to change and we’re trying to convince people and get enough of them that politicians will listen and say i’m going to lose votes unless I change this.’ That’s the usual way protests can be effective in our democracies.”
