The head of the RCMP says the powers given to her officers through the Emergencies Act served as “a big deterrent” in policing anti-vaccine mandate protests that occupied the streets of downtown Ottawa for nearly a month.
Commissioner Brenda Lucki’s remarks before a parliamentary committee Friday afternoon come during a heated political debate over whether the Liberal government was justified in invoking the Emergencies Act.
Earlier this month, the federal government invoked new powers to address anti-vaccine mandate protesters and blockades — including the authority to ban travel to protest zones and prohibit people from bringing minors to unlawful assemblies.
“We
