Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to end the trucker protests in Canada. Did he previously speak in support of similar protests in India?

Question

The BBC's Trudeau vows to freeze anti-mandate protesters' bank accounts

What began as a rally against a new rule that all truckers must be vaccinated to cross the US-Canada border, or quarantine upon return, has grown into a broader challenge to all Covid health restrictions.

"This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people's jobs," Mr Trudeau told a news conference on Monday.

He said the police would be given "more tools" to imprison or fine protesters and protect critical infrastructure.

Mr Trudeau told reporters the legislation would be applied temporarily and in a highly specific manner.

Critics have noted that the prime minister voiced support for farmers in India who blocked major highways to New Delhi for a year in 2021, saying at the time: "Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest."

Mr Trudeau's invoking of the Emergencies Act comes as demonstrations across Canada enter their third week.

The article seems to be referring to blockades associated with 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest though the details of Trudeau statement are missing.

It looks like the Emergencies Act allows for the forceful removal of the blockade of the US-Canada Ambassador Bridge and other traffic-challenging blockades in Canada.

Question: Did Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously support the use of road blockades as a form of peaceful protest in India that are similar to the actions he has now invoked the Emergencies Act to end at home in Canada?

Answer 1

From a video this article, we can see there is some similarity to the two situations. Indian farmers, wanting laws affecting them repealed, camped out on a highway in Dehli for several months. They claimed the law allowed companies to dictate what they could do.

Apparently the government of India used anti-riot gear on protesters

Police in New Delhi’s neighbouring state of Haryana, governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the farmers who tried to march towards New Delhi on foot, in buses and tractors, NDTV news channel reported.

Trudeau did speak about the situation after that (emphasis mine)

While talking about the protests, Trudeau said, “I would be remiss if I didn’t start also by recognizing the news coming out of India about the protests by farmers. The situation is concerning. And we all are very worried about family and friends; I know that’s a reality for many of you. Let me remind you. Canada will always be ready to defend the right to peaceful protest. We believe in the importance of dialogue and that’s why we reached out to multiple means directly to Indian authorities to highlight our concerns.”