Top officials of the Biden administration pressed their Canadian counterparts to remove truckers who blocked parts of the United States’ northern border during protests in January.
A public inquiry into the decision to use emergency powers by the Government of Canada “Freedom Convoy” protesters It was revealed on Thursday that frantic phone calls had been made by Washington to Ottawa in an effort to open blocked supply lines.
“They are very, very, very concerned,” Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland wrote in an email to her staff following a February 10 phone call from Brian Dees, director of the White House National Economic Council. according to Politico,
Freeland continued in his email, “If this is not resolved in the next 12 hours, all of their Northeast car plants will be closed.”
Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg called his Canadian counterpart, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, the same day Dees reportedly called Freeland, and Buttigieg pressed Alaghbra about Canada’s “plan to resolve” the protests. .
Alghabra told the commission that Buttigieg initiated the call and that the conversation was “unusual”.
Brian Clough, deputy chief of staff to the Canadian prime minister, also heard from White House aides, including National Security Council director Juan Gonzalez, who wanted to link Canadian national security officials to the US Department of Homeland Security.
A phone call between President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took place the next day, February 11, where Trudeau told the Commander-in-Chief that Ottawa had a plan to end the blockade,
In his call with Trudeau, Biden reportedly pointed to the Super Bowl in Los Angeles and the trucker convoy threatening to block roads in Washington.
Freeland told staff in an email that Dees wanted daily updates on the protests that never materialized because the Emergency Situations Act was invoked three days after Trudeau’s call with Biden.
Freeland told Canadian investigators that he was concerned that Canada was “in the process of doing long-term and possibly irreparable damage to our trading relationship with the United States” and was afraid of DC politicians “who would try to impose more protectionist measures on us”. Would love any excuse.”
border blockade In Manitoba and between Detroit and Windsor the clearances were granted prior to the invocation of the Emergencies Act, the commission found.
A never-before-used Canadian law gave the government the power to freeze protesters’ bank accounts, ban travel to protest sites and force vehicles blocking roads to be pulled over.
The commission is seeking to determine whether the government was justified in invoking the emergency powers.
“Freedom Convoy” protesters Canadians were demonstrating against the COVID vaccine mandate and restrictions.