The conflict over living conditions in Canada is ongoing. Perhaps Canada's most forceful movement toward change was the Winnipeg General Strike, during the summer of 1919. The strike was caused by the desire of the working class to rise out of poverty. The government hastily tried to quell the strike by deporting strike leaders, using firearms to disperse the crowds, and finally "punishing" people by firing them from their jobs. The Winnipeg General Strike was ultimately harmful to the well-being of working-class Winnipeggers due to the government's violation of democratic ideals. On June 6, 1919, after over a month of strike action in Winnipeg, the federal government amended the Immigration Act "[allowing] officials to deport any foreign citizen or Canadian not born in Canada for advocating the overthrow of the government by force." 1 ​​Canada, as a democratic country, was/is based on the idea of ​​allowing people to influence decisions that affect their lives2 . However, the government's final decision to deport the strikers and strike leaders demonstrated a lack of adherence to and respect for the democratic system. The government contradicted itself as a democracy by ignoring the people instead of intervening to reach a peaceful and fair solution. The government has upended the political freedom3 it was supposed to promote and encourage by threatening to deport anyone who challenges the status quo. Looking closely at the amendment will reveal that the changes to the Immigration Act only allowed for the deportation of “aliens” and immigrant citizens, but not “genuine Canadians.” This particular change in immigration law showed a bias against foreigners. Although not on the government's mind, this was an extremely... middle of paper... account of the Winnipeg General Strike." In Defense of Marxism. May 28, 2009. Web. May 21, 2011.23 Grant, Alex "Canada: 90th Anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike." 2009. Web. May 21, 2011.25 Grant, Alex. "Canada: 90th Anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike." Web. May 11, 2011.27 Powell, John. "Winnipeg General Strike." Encyclopedia of the North American Immigration, 2005. American History Web May 7, 2011.28 Strike." In defense of Marxism. May 28, 2009. Web. May 21 2011.