Canada's Trudeau Forced To Cancel Campaign Events Due To Protests

Trudeau forced to cancel campaign event because of anti-Vaccine protesters…

 Kane

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a press conference on Friday in Mississauga, Ontario, where he announced that his party, if re-elected, would create a $1 billion COVID-19 “proof-of vaccination” fund, which would provide funding to provinces that move forward with vaccine passports.

In a statement, the Liberals said that a re-elected Liberal government will:

Introduce a “COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Fund” that will be available to support provinces and territories who implement a requirement for proof-of-vaccine credentials in their jurisdiction for non-essential businesses and public spaces;

 

Continue to procure enough vaccines to ensure all Canadians have access to free COVID-19 booster shots and second-generation vaccines as needed, across all provinces and territories;

 

Invest to study the long-term health impacts of COVID-19, including the effects of “long-COVID” on groups including vulnerable populations and children.

Dozens of protesters followed the Liberal campaign to the rally. They used expletives in chants, waved their middle fingers, and made references to the Nazis over megaphones as a line of police stood in front of them.

Speaking in neighbouring Brampton on Friday night, Trudeau said the campaign couldn't guarantee the safety of the people in attendance, and would have put at risk volunteers and others.

"That was not something I was willing to do," he said.

It was the third such incident Friday where Trudeau was confronted by angry demonstrators upset with his government's push on vaccine passports and vaccine mandates for travellers.

Protesters who oppose masks, vaccines and lockdown measures to fight COVID-19 have dogged the Liberal leader on the campaign trail, but he has usually politely waved back and often yelled through his mask, "get vaccinated."

Trudeau remarked that he had never seen such anger and intensity on the campaign trail, even recalling going with his father out West where former prime minister Pierre Trudeau was vilified.

The Canadian Press learned later Friday that Ontario has plans to introduce a vaccine certificate system next week, a reversal from Ford's early claims that such a system would "split society."

Visiting Thunder Bay, Ont., Singh called on the federal government to issue a national vaccine credential.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just have one central document that we get from the federal government and we can use in any province we travel to?" Singh said. "It would just make life easier."