'Never knew Canada would tolerate this': Justin Trudeau, Canadians respond to aggressive attacks from 'anti-vaxxer mobs' across country
During a campaign stop in in Montreal on Tuesday, Justin Trudeau responded to questions about the "mob" of protesters who threw gravel at him on Monday in London, Ont.
"It is absolutely unacceptable that people be throwing things and endangering others at a political rally," Trudeau said. "There were volunteers and supporters, there were police officers there to keep everyone safe, there were journalists, such as yourselves, doing a really important job informing Canadians of what's going on in this election, some of the tensions that are out there."
"No one should be doing their jobs under the threats of violence or acts that put them in danger."
Trudeau connected this particular act of aggression to the hostility that health care workers and individuals in public-facing jobs are facing across Canada.
"There are health care workers across the country who are getting hassled and intimidated and bullied as they're going into work to keep people safe and alive," Trudeau said. "There are store clerks and waitresses, people going about their daily lives, getting yelled at and pushed around for wearing masks, for being vaccinated."
"That's not how we do things in Canada and quite frankly, as I continue the campaign, I am inspired by those people who continue to do the right thing in the face of anti-vaxxer mobs who are not respecting the basic science and the basic decency that Canadians have rightly come to expect from each other."Justin Trudeau, Canada's Liberal Party leader
Several people took to social media to respond to what happened to the prime minister and the "anti-vaxxer mobs," some particularly pointing out the lack of consequences for these individuals.
HONEST QUESTION: If a group of Black or Indigenous people threw rocks at Canada's Prime Minister…would they just be allowed to walk away? #Elxn44
— Naheed Dosani (@NaheedD) September 7, 2021
Imagine police treated antivaxxers protesting like everyone else.
— Ahmed Ali (@MrAhmednurAli) September 7, 2021
Yes, imagine! I’m shocked to see this amount of tolerance! Throwing stones at people, blocking hospitals’ entrances! Wow, never knew Canada would tolerate this. Now, one would say let’s start testing other stuff?!!
— Bayan Taleb (@Bayan_ae) September 7, 2021
Anybody throw rocks at Mulroney? Harper? Trudeau senior? This level of bullshit is without precedent, and need to be treated as such. https://t.co/Sq7ZPAmLD1
— Michael Healey (@healeytypes) September 6, 2021
Trying to grapple with why video of stones thrown at Trudeau & the comments are so unsettling tonight.
1/I lost a loved one to a rock in the head
2/White supremacy is behind these attacks
3/Racist hate has been here since before Confederation-have u not been listening+believing— Dr. Amy Tan 譚玉英 🟠 Racism=Public Health crisis* (@AmyTanMD) September 7, 2021
4/Overt political violence escalating in Canada
5/Canada needs to WAKE UP re false security that what happened in the US can't happen here re white supremacy terrorism
6/This is all intertwined w COVID
7/My kid starts at school tmrw w no airborne precautions, no rapid tests— Dr. Amy Tan 譚玉英 🟠 Racism=Public Health crisis* (@AmyTanMD) September 7, 2021
