Photo: The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday canceled plans to run in person at a Liberal fundraiser in British Columbia after the RCMP warned that an aggressive out-of-event protest could escalate if it arrived, said a source close to the decision.
The source spoke to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly about the situation.
Trudeau addressed the issue Wednesday during a stop in Saskatoon, which was also attended by protesters who were verbally aggressive with the Prime Minister’s RCMP protective detail and initially blocked his exit from a local center in Saskatoon. seniors.
The Prime Minister did not explain why he chose to speak virtually with fundraising in Surrey, but expressed displeasure at “harassment, racist insults (and) threats of violence” aimed at mostly South Asian attendees. when they arrived.
Witnesses to the protest said they had heard harassed attendees wearing turbans, among other racial insults. A protester is seen in a photo wearing a bow hanging from two flat sticks printed with the words “betrayal” and “Trudeau.”
“The safety of Canadians who choose to make their voices heard in politics should never be questioned as it was last night and as we see it more and more across the country,” Trudeau said.
“The fundamental freedoms we have as a country that we enjoy as Canadians must be defended, we must protect. No one should feel threatened or harassed by their support for one political party or another. And that is something I think we all need to do. Stay tuned. “
He said all levels of government are currently studying the issue.
This is the second time in 10 months that aggressive protesters have pushed police to advise Trudeau to change his plan to speak at an event. A campaign rally in Bolton, Ontario, was completely canceled last August when dozens of angry protesters chanted obscenities against the Prime Minister and took to the scene.
He was followed by angry protesters for much of this campaign, which has led to some notable changes in the way his office manages its schedule. Event-specific locations are no longer included in your published daily itineraries, for example.
During the first days of the convoy protest in Ottawa in January and February, Trudeau and his family were evacuated from their home in the city for several days.
Other leaders, including NPD leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, have indicated that they received RCMP protection during the convoy while in Ottawa.
A request for access to information published by the Privy Council Office shows that between February 5 and March 23, 26 threats were filed against Trudeau and eight of his cabinet ministers. Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland were again threatened during this period.
The nature of the threats or actions to be investigated are not included in the publication.
The BC RCMP said in a statement on Tuesday’s event that the protest group started small but grew in number and was joined by cars, larger trucks and vehicles towing trailers “traveling in a convoy-style loop on the road “.
“Due to the size and composition of the protest group and the safety of all attendees, it was decided that it was not safe for the Prime Minister to attend the venue,” the RCMP statement said.
The government source who spoke to The Canadian Press said the fear was that Trudeau’s presence would amplify the crowd and put all attendees at greater risk.
The Prime Minister’s Office and the RCMP jointly decided to cancel Trudeau’s in-person appearance, the source said.
Trudeau is not the only one to be followed by more aggressive protesters. In Peterborough, Ontario, two weeks ago, Singh was chased into his car outside a provincial NDP campaign office.
In Montreal on Wednesday, Justice Minister David Lametti temporarily left a press conference in front of his office when he confronted an anti-Israeli protester who slapped him in the face. Lametti returned when the protester left.