Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has invoked the Emergencies Act to bring to an end to antigovernment blockades he says are illegal and not about peaceful protest.

Trudeau says the act will be used to protect critical infrastructure such as borders and airports from the blockades, and is creating time-limited powers that do not already exist.

This is the first time the Emergencies Act has been invoked since it came into force in 1988.

The federal government will be broadening the scope of anti-money laundering rules to cover crowdfunding sites.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says such sites are being used to support illegal blockades.

She says they will now be required to report to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada.

She says the move, to be made permanent, will allow Fintrac to make more information available to police and other enforcement agencies.

One of the main organizers behind the truckers' protest says they will "hold the line" in the face of the federal government invoking the Emergencies Act. 

Tamara Lich appeared at a news conference Monday afternoon to address reports Trudeau would be bringing down the legislation.

She says protesters are not afraid and called their demonstration on Parliament Hill one of "love and freedom." 

Lich addressed Trudeau directly to say no matter what he does, protesters will "hold the line" and not be going anywhere.