Organizers of the nationwide protests against the federal Liberal’s carbon tax held a press conference on Thursday where they said their goal was to have Prime Minister Justin Trudeau either call an election or give Canadians a referendum over the carbon tax.
Canadians began their nationwide protest against Trudeau’s carbon tax hike on Monday, staging protests in every province and nearly every border crossing in the country.
“We cannot tax the middle class into poverty. This tax will be the straw that breaks the Canadians’ backs,” said Karl Douville, one of the two organizers who spoke on Thursday.
“It’s time to let Canadians decide,” Douville added.
An Angus Reid poll last month showed that four out of five Canadians were opposed to the Liberals’ April 1 carbon tax hike, but the Liberals jacked it up anyway.
Douville also urged the government and law enforcement agencies to engage in respectful dialogue when addressing any issues that might arise from the demonstrations. He stressed the importance of open communication and a collaborative approach in resolving any concerns or conflicts that could emerge during the protests.
“Calm heads must prevail for everyone involved,” he said.
Douville further said that protesters in some regions are getting confused over the RCMP changing the rules over what’s permissible and what’s not, asking for the federal courts “to immediate action on establishing consistent ground rules for safe, peaceful, and lawful protests while balancing the goals of all parties involved.”
On Monday across the country, there were a few traffic diversions, but everything was peaceful and upbeat.
But on Tuesday, the RCMP showed up to the Trans-Canada Highway in Alberta wearing riot gear and carrying automatic weapons with their name tags covered, forming a wall between protesters and the road.
On Thursday, while speaking at a press conference in Manitoba, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said provinces can offer alternatives to the carbon tax, as long as they achieve the exact same results.
