Canadian PM declares end of 10-day state of emergency

OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday declared to end the state of emergency invoked on Feb 14.

At a press conference, Trudeau made the announcement to end the use of the Emergencies Act which was passed by the House of Commons on Monday.

"Immediate emergency situation is over," said Trudeau, stressing that the decision was made after careful consideration.

The federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) promised to remain committed to working with law enforcement partners to ensure safety and security.

"Today, the declaration of a public order emergency under the Emergencies Act was revoked," said RCMP in an official statement published on Wednesday. "The revocation of the public order emergency takes nothing away from our resolve to effectively enforce the law and keep communities safe."

Canada's House of Commons on Monday night voted to pass the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act in response to the truckers' convoy blockades in Ottawa and at border crossings.

The 185-151 vote was made on a motion put forward by the Liberal government that outlined its decision to invoke the never-before-used emergency powers after weeks-long demonstrations dubbed the "Freedom Convoy 2022".

Since late January, Canadian truck drivers had been rallying against the government's COVID-19 vaccine mandates, as the truckers were requested to be fully vaccinated for crossing the border into the United States. After being joined by thousands of pedestrian protesters, the rally turned into demonstrations against the government's overall restrictive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The provincial government of Ontario is also expected to lift the state of emergency soon.