Trudeau invokes emergency powers to shut down Canada’s protests

CANADA’S MAPLE-LEAF flag is ubiquitous—draped over shoulders and unfurled from hockey sticks. The protesters who have converged on Ottawa, Canada’s capital, to demand the end of covid-19 restrictions are brandishing it like stars-and-stripes-waving Americans. On weekdays their numbers dwindle to a thousand or so, though the clog of vehicles, from camper vans to 18-wheelers, parked outside parliament makes the crowd seem bigger. On weekends they are joined by many more, often groups of neighbours who form small convoys and bring their children. That’s when bouncy castles go up and dance parties appear. At the slightest excuse people burst into “O Canada”.