A majority of likely Democratic voters support Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of emergency powers to crack down on Freedom Convoy protesters last week.
A new poll from Trafalgar Group and Convention of States Action and provided exclusively to The Daily Wire shows that 55% of likely general election voters disapprove of Trudeau’s handling of the protesters. Thirty-five percent approve of Trudeau’s heavy-handed tactics and 10% said they were unaware of what was happening north of the U.S. border.
Trafalgar Group surveyed 1080 likely general election voters from February 18-20 after Trudeau brought federal, provincial, and local law enforcement into Ottawa to forcibly clear out hundreds of protesters and dozens of vehicles from Parliament Hill and surrounding areas. The poll’s margin of error is 3%.
Democrats overwhelmingly favored Trudeau’s response with 65% approval to 17% disapproval. Republican responses were weighted even more heavily against Trudeau, however, with 87% of likely GOP voters disapproving to just 8% approving. Respondents who said they did not belong to either one of the two main parties cut against Trudeau’s crackdown with 74% disapproving versus 21% approving.
Aside from Democrats, the only other demographic areas identified in the poll that cut in Trudeau’s favor are the ages 65 and older category and among blacks and Hispanics. Every other demographic – men, women, Asian, white, younger age groups – disapproved of Trudeau’s handling of the protesters.
The largest difference in approval versus disapproval took place among 25 to 34-year-olds. In that age group, 100% of respondents disapproved of Trudeau’s tactics.
Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14 in what he called a “last resort” to break a group of protesters that had held ground outside of Canada’s Parliament since late January. The group of protesters, which began as the trucker-led Freedom Convoy, demonstrated against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other regulations and restrictions.
Under the Emergencies Act, federal authorities went after the bank accounts and other financial assets of anybody even tangentially involved in the protest. Trudeau’s government threatened that any vehicle involved in the protest could lose its insurance. The bank accounts of protesters or anyone suspected of aiding the protesters could be frozen without a court order or due process.
On Friday, hundreds of law enforcement officials swarmed downtown Ottawa where the Freedom Convoy had set up. Police came equipped in riot gear and wielding tear gas, some riding horses, to methodically push the protesters out of the area and tow away vehicles. Law enforcement made hundreds of arrests and towed away dozens of vehicles.
“I want to be very clear, the scope of these measures will be time-limited, geographically targeted, as well as reasonable and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address. The emergencies act will be used to strengthen and support law enforcement agencies at all levels across the country,” Trudeau said last week announcing the emergency measures. “In addition, financial institutions will be authorized and directed to render essential services to help address the situation including by regulating and prohibiting the use of property to fund or support illegal blockades.”
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire member.