The RCMP says it is investigating the verbal harassment of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland that occurred in Alberta on Aug. 26, saying it "takes threats against public officials seriously."
"The RCMP, or local police of jurisdiction, review all incidents to determine the appropriate course of action," said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Caroline Duval in a statement to CTV News. "Physical action and statements made in person or online can have a significant impact and can be against the law."
Video of the incident circulating widely on social media shows a man yelling profanities at the minister in the lobby of Grande Prairie’s city hall, calling her "traitor" and a "f---ing b----" as she and her staff entered an elevator.
"Get the f--- out of this province!" the man can be heard yelling, while another woman tells the Peace River, Alta.-born Freeland: "You don't belong here."
The RCMP said Tuesday that if the threshold for a criminal charge is met, the RCMP or the police of jurisdiction may make an arrest and lay charges.
If the criminal threshold is not met, Duval said that the RCMP will examine "the threats and derogatory comments from an intelligence perspective."
After the footage emerged over the weekend, politicians of all stripes have expressed their support of Freeland and condemned harassment.
Freeland responded to the incident Saturday, calling the situation "wrong."
"Nobody, anywhere, should have to put up with threats and intimidation," Freeland said. "The Alberta I know is filled with kind and welcoming people."
The incident occurred while the deputy prime minister and finance minister was in western Canada as part of a visit to meet with businesses, farmers, tradespeople, and local politicians.
Tuesday was the first day since the incident that Freeland’s office published her itinerary publicly. She is once again in Alberta, meeting with greenhouse workers as well as Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who in light of Freeland's experience took to Twitter to share her own experiences with being targeted.
Asked Tuesday about the rise in threats and harassment directed at politicians, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians have been through a lot over the last few years, with people feeling "a lot of pressure" stemming from pandemic, economic, and climate anxieties.
"Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions for all these challenges we're facing. It's going to take hard work, it is going to take people listening to each other, it's going to take orders of government stepping up and delivering for people, and it's the time for responsible leadership," Trudeau said. "It's time for people to look to assuage fears and angers, to respond with a positive vision of the future. People are hurting"
"Each of us in positions of authority or power need to make sure that we are not inciting or encouraging anger or frustrations, but actually putting forward concrete and real solutions," said the prime minister.
On Monday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said that he was looking into options when it comes to increasing security for politicians, and that as the security situation becomes “more and more complex,” there’s a need to “bring the temperature down.”
The national police force said that while it won't comment on specific security measures in place around Freeland, members of Parliament can receive RCMP protection in Canada and abroad "as needed."
Protection for politicians is "intelligence-led," "proportional" to the threat, and continuously reviewed, Duval said.
"The RCMP is committed to safeguarding Canadian dignitaries who fall under the RCMP’s purview, including members of Parliament and ministers of the Crown, based on the latest threat and risk assessments," she said.
