Town hall with Chrystia Freeland cut short by protesters

TORONTO -- A town hall with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland held by the National Council of Canadian Muslims was cut short today after protesters calling her a "war monger" repeatedly interrupted the event in Toronto.

Protesters held up signs raising issues such as Venezuelan independence and a halt to weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, and after several interruptions organizers stopped the event.

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The town hall came one week after the prime minister's re-election bid has been hit by controversy after images emerged of Trudeau's past dressing in brown- or blackface as part of costume events.

No direct questions were posed about the images, but in her opening remarks, Freeland reiterated her comments from Friday that racism and intolerance were unacceptable and she was "disappointed" when she saw the images.

Freeland says she accepts Trudeau's apology, which she believes is "sincere."

She told the town hall today, however, that it was up to Canadians to decide whether to accept his apology themselves.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2019.