Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s day in the Ottawa area ended early Friday as protesters gathered outside a brewery ahead of his arrival.
After uneventful stops in Gatineau Park in Quebec and two Ottawa suburbs earlier in the day, Trudeau was on his way to Brasserie Étienne Brûlé in Embrun, Ont., about 30 minutes east. east of Ottawa, when the event was cancelled.
A dozen protesters gathered in front of the brewery, including one who carried a flag that read profanity directly against Mr. Trudeau. Another person was filming the establishment with his phone.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) plainclothes officers were on duty outside.
The brasserie was packed, both inside and on the terraces. Three customers, seated on the back terrace, were asked to leave by a brasserie employee. One of them approached the RCMP officers, spoke briefly with them before walking away.
Government sources confirmed that the presence of demonstrators apparently supporting the “Freedom Convoy” was the reason for the cancellation. The presence of a large crowd of people inside the restaurant added to the risk of the situation deteriorating.
Earlier in the year, a “Freedom Convoy” base camp was set up in Embrun during the blockades that paralyzed Ottawa for three weeks.
It is the second time in less than two months that Mr Trudeau has been forced to withdraw from a planned public appearance due to the presence of people with views similar to those of the “Freedom Convoy” protesters.
On May 24, in Surrey, British Columbia, about 100 demonstrators gathered, calling among other things for the resignation of the Prime Minister. Mr. Trudeau was thus forced to cancel his presence at a fundraising dinner, participating instead virtually.
During the previous federal election campaign, an election stop in Bolton, Ontario was canceled due to the presence of a large crowd of protesters.
Additionally, a handful of gravel was thrown at Mr. Trudeau outside a political rally during the campaign in London, Ont. A man was later charged with assault with a weapon. This same individual was also arrested in February in Ottawa during the “Freedom Convoy” demonstrations.
Before the Embrun event on Friday, the topic that caught the eye during the day was Justin Trudeau’s new cropped haircut.
Trudeau also visited a family’s home in Ottawa to discuss a “climate action incentive” payment that several Canadians have received from the federal government. Some neighbors who were curious gathered, but no protesters were visible there.