Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family have left their home in the country’s capital and moved to an undisclosed location after a mass protest against the mandate of a coronavirus vaccine, media reported Saturday. Gather on Capitol Hill.
The initial protests, dubbed the “Freedom Convoy,” against the vaccine demands of cross-border truckers, have grown into mass demonstrations against the Trudeau government’s coronavirus regulations.
Thousands of truckers and other protesters gathered in the capital on Saturday to call for an end to mandated Covid-19 vaccines and other public health restrictions, the CBC reported.
The crowd included some children with children, the elderly and the disabled. According to The Globe and Mail, some even held signs with offensive and obscene language, mainly aimed at the Canadian prime minister.
Some protesters were seen dancing at the famous war memorial, drawing condemnation from Canada’s top soldier, General Wayne Eyre, and Canada’s Defence Minister Anita Anand.
Police remain on high alert for possible violence after hundreds of protesters flooded the parliamentary precinct despite warnings of extreme cold.
“It sickens me to see protesters dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrating the National War Memorial. Generations of Canadians have fought for our rights, our rights, including free speech, but not this one. Those who participated Should bow your head in shame,” Gen. Wayne Eyre tweeted.
Anita Anand also condemned the incident, saying the “action we are seeing today is beyond reprehensible”.
“The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the National War Memorial are sacred sites in our country. I urge all Canadians to treat them with dignity and respect for those who fought and died for Canada,” she said.
Police said nearly 10,000 people were expected to be present by the end of the day. As of Saturday night, the force had no official estimate of the size of the crowd, media reports said.
Trudeau told the media on Friday that he was concerned the protests could turn violent, but said the motorcade represented a “marginal minority” who “do not represent the views of Canadians.”
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
