TORONTO (AP) — Canada has endured bitter divisions in its past, but the current wave of protests over COVID-19 restrictions is unprecedented in some respects. Notably, it has undermined public trust in government leadership, starting at the top with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Under fire for a hands-off approach, Trudeau finally took forceful action against the protesters who have been blockading parts of Canada’s capital city. He invoked emergency powers that could ban such blockades, freeze protesters’ bank accounts and target crowdfunding sites used to support them. Unsurprisingly, the pronouncement further angered the protesters and their conservative backers. But there was also little enthusiasm for the move anywhere else on Canada’s political spectrum.
As Canada protests persist, so do challenges for Trudeau
