Trudeau concerned trucker convoy converging on Parliament Hill could turn violent
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's concerned about the potential for violence during this weekend's planned protest on Parliament Hill by truckers and others joining the crowd to vent their anger about public health restrictions to combat COVID-19.
"Of course I'm concerned," Trudeau said in an interview Friday with The Canadian Press.
"A number of people are there without wanting to incite violence but there are going to be, as we've heard, a small group of people in there who are posing a threat to themselves, to each other, to Canadians."
Ottawa police have warned of the potential for violence by extremists who've joined, or in some cases helped organize, the truck convoy that began converging on the country's capital Friday.
The so-called "freedom convoy" has been billed as a protest against the federally imposed vaccine mandate on cross-border truckers, even though planning for the event began before the policy was established.
While key organizers have said violence won't be tolerated, far-right extremists and white nationalists have latched onto it, with some calling for "bullets" or a "massive revolution" or a riot akin to the insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol a year ago.
"The problem is this has morphed into something a lot larger that doesn't represent what the vast majority of truckers are going through, or indeed the vast majority of Canadians' perspective on this," Trudeau said.
"Canadians are not represented by this very troubling, small but very vocal minority of Canadians who are lashing out at science, at government, at society, at mandates and public health advice."
A lot of the anger is directed personally at Trudeau, with many supporters of the convoy displaying signs and flags emblazoned with expletives against the prime minister. Some have called for Trudeau to be tried for treason to or to be beaten up.
"It doesn't worry me that it's personal. That's sort of what you sign up for when you run for office, to a certain extent. You know there's going to be lots of people who disagree with you and are going to express that disagreement. That comes with the territory," he said.
"But threats of violence shouldn't come with the territory for anyone who steps up to serve, whether it's as a politician, as a local representative or even as a public health official or a doctor. That doesn't have a place."
The parliamentary precinct has been effectively shut down for the weekend. Members of Parliament, warned that some people are trying to extend the protest to their homes and constituency offices, have been given tips on how to stay safe.
Organizers have crafted a "memorandum of understanding" demanding that the appointed Senate and the Governor General effectively usurp the authority of the elected government and do away with all vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions -- a constitutional impossibility.
Trudeau said it's typical of "conspiracy theories" that spread "misinformation and disinformation" about the pandemic and how democratic governments work.
They do " a very good job of seeming reasonable or sounding legitimate by using fake experts or pseudo-legalistic language and unfortunately are just clever enough to bring in people who are otherwise reasonable to say, 'Oh, that sounds really official,' and they get roped in by terrible misinformation."
He noted that the protesters use the appealing rallying cry of "freedom."
But he said: "The most important freedom is freedom for Canadians who are doing the right things to be able to get through and beyond this pandemic, freedom to see their loved ones, freedom to be able to know that their kids are safe as they go to school, that our businesses are going to be able to get through this pandemic.
"And the way to do that is to trust in science, to follow public health rules and to get vaccinated. That's what standing up for rights and freedoms (looks like)."
Trudeau acknowledged everyone is frustrated with the pandemic, which has dragged on for almost two years, but most are "not taking to the streets with a level of vitriol that quite frankly doesn't represent the vast, vast, vast number of Canadians out there who have demonstrated a sense of unity, of being there for each other that is remarkable and exemplary on the world stage."
He repeatedly stressed that almost 90 per cent of Canadians -- along with almost 90 per cent of truckers -- have done the right thing by getting vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones.
"People need to know that this protest doesn't represent truckers and it doesn't represent Canadians. It represents a very small, very angry group of Canadians … who are really trying to lash out."
That's why, he said, the country needs "reasonable, responsible leadership that is focused on keeping Canadians safe."
He slammed Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole for "putting forward as his priority accommodating the unvaccinated."
O'Toole, who intends to meet with some of the truckers, has called for calm and a peaceful protest. He has also denounced people involved in the convoy who are espousing racist and extremist ideas. But he has not called out any of his MPs, including deputy leader Candice Bergen, predecessor Andrew Scheer and finance critic Pierre Poilievre, who have given full-throated support to the convoy and joined in accusing Trudeau of being a threat to Canadians' liberty.
"The fact that Mr. O'Toole is looking for political advantage is really not the kind of responsible leadership that Canadians need," Trudeau said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2022.
IN DEPTH
Trudeau, key election players to testify at foreign interference hearings. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions are picking back up this week. Here's what you need to know.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
opinion Don Martin: Pierre Poilievre's road to apparent victory will soon start to get rougher
Pierre Poilievre and his Conservatives appear to be on cruise control to a rendezvous with the leader's prime ministerial ambition, but in his latest column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin questions whether the Conservative leader may be peaking too soon.
opinion Don Martin: The Trudeau lessons from Brian Mulroney's legacy start with walking away
Justin Trudeau should pay very close attention to the legacy treatment afforded former prime minister Brian Mulroney, who died on Thursday at age 84, writes columnist Don Martin.
opinion Don Martin: ArriveCan debacle may be even worse than we know from auditor's report
It's been 22 years since a former auditor general blasted the Chretien government after it 'broke just about every rule in the book' in handing out private sector contracts in the sponsorship scandal. In his column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin says the book has been broken anew with everything that went on behind the scenes of the 'dreaded' ArriveCan app.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Local Spotlight
Conservation officers seize 9-foot python from Chilliwack home
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Ontario auto-insurance changes could leave some vulnerable, says expert
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A tiny critter who could: Elusive Newfoundland Marten makes improbable comeback
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
Ontario man loses $12K to deepfake scam involving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Record-setting pop tab collection for Ontario boy
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
'I was just like, holy cow!': Saskatoon dumpster divers reclaim wasted valuables
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario to balance budget ahead of 2026 election, citing delay due to 'economic uncertainty'
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.