Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed concern about the potential for violence amid planned weekend protests on Parliament Hill by truckers and others joining them.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Trudeau says the ‘freedom convoy’ has turned from a protest against mandatory vaccinations for cross-border truckers into a forum for a small minority of ‘very angry’ people opposed. to all public health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, some of which espouse the use of violence to achieve their ends.
Trudeau said he’s not overly concerned that much of the anger is directed at him personally, noting that being singled out by angry critics is not unusual for a politician.
But he believes threats of violence should not be part of the burden on anyone who shows up to serve, including politicians and healthcare workers.
As convoy supporters rally around a cry for freedom, Trudeau says they ignore the freedom of fellow Canadians to protect themselves from COVID-19, bring their children to school, resume their activities and return to their normal lives.
A key convoy organizer has urged people to remain peaceful, while “Canada Unity”, a group behind the protest, mistakenly believes it can work with the Governor General and the Senate of Canada to circumvent existing governance systems and undo pandemic-related restrictions and sanctions.
Trudeau points out that the protesters do not represent the vast majority of truckers or the vast majority of Canadians who did the right thing by getting fully vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones.
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