OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — Internal documents have revealed that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s deputy transport minister felt the “Freedom Convoy” had to be crushed not because it posed a safety risk, but because it was the “spiritual source of the protest movement.”
Per Blacklock’s Reporter, Deputy Transport Minister Michael Keenan told police in a teleconference on February 6 – day 10 of the convoy protest – that while the main “encampment may be contained, it is the spiritual source of the protest movement” and is “acting as fuel for the engagement of others.”
“It is obviously less tactically important to deal with it at this juncture but has a greater impact on the movement from a visibility and communication angle,” stated Keenan at the time, adding that it “creates the spiritual fuel that will sustain the actions of the various encampments.”
Then-chief of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) Peter Sloly, also conceded during the phone call that the convoy did not pose a risk to public safety, saying the worst thing about it was that it was visibly unattractive.
“Wellington is the most contained and least risky of the encampments,” said Sloly. “However, it is a visible eyesore.”
The chief added that there was no need for the convoy to be removed, and that the situation was under control.
“From a tactical perspective the trucks on Wellington do not need to be moved,” he said. “The powers of existing legislation are sufficient.”
Despite Sloly’s confidence, the Emergencies Act was nonetheless enacted on February 14 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the protest “illegal” while claiming it was “hurting Canadians” and causing a “state of emergency” that “needs to stop.”
Trudeau’s Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino likewise characterized the protest as threatening, despite a report made by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service on the same day the EA was invoked saying there were “no concerns at this time.”
Starting October 13, a series of public inquiry hearings into Trudeau’s use of the EA commenced, with 65 witnesses set to be called to testify over the next six weeks, including the prime minister.