After uneventful stops at Gatineau Park in Quebec and two Ottawa suburbs earlier in the day, Trudeau was on his way to the Brasserie Étienne Brûlé brewery in Embrun, Ont., about 30 minutes east of Ottawa. The event was canceled before it arrived. About a dozen protesters gathered across the street from the brewery, including one carrying a banner with profanities directed at Trudeau and another recording the facility on their phone. Plainclothes RCMP officers were stationed outside. “Due to the size and composition of the protest group, and for the safety of everyone in attendance, it was determined that it was not safe for the prime minister to attend the location,” the RCMP National Division said in a statement to CBC News. The brewery itself was packed, both inside and on the patios. Three of those patrons, sitting on the back patio, were asked to leave by a brewery employee. One of them, a woman, approached the RCMP officers and appeared to argue with them briefly before walking away. The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that while the event “regrettably” had to be cancelled, the prime minister is looking forward to returning soon.
The prime minister is plagued by protests
It’s the second time in less than two months that Trudeau has been forced to pull out of a planned appearance because of the presence of people who espouse similar views to the “freedom convoy” protesters who blocked downtown Ottawa for three weeks last winter. On May 24, more than 100 protesters crowded outside the gates of a banquet hall in Surrey, B.C., with one carrying a makeshift gallows with a noose and Trudeau Treason written on it. Trudeau chose to address the fundraising event virtually. Trudeau has been regularly harassed by protesters since the last federal election. A polling stop in Bolton, Ont., was canceled due to large crowds of protesters. WATCHES | Protesters return to Ottawa for Canada Day:
Protesters return to Ottawa for Canada Day
Freedom Convoy marchers returned to Ottawa during the first Canada Day celebrations since the pandemic. With vehicles unwelcome, protesters marched on foot through the capital, angry about the COVID-19 restrictions and against the government. At a later event in London, Ont., he was pelted with a handful of gravel as he boarded his tour bus. A man was later charged with assault with a weapon. That man was also arrested in February in Ottawa during the motorcade protests. Protesters are largely rallying against COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine mandates and mask requirements, but some have also called for Trudeau to resign or be removed from office. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Liberal MP Jenna Sands, right, talk with Reza Mateen, left, and Shireen Mohseni, second from left, about the climate action incentive payment in their Ottawa backyard on Friday. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press) Before Embrun’s event on Friday, the big talk of Trudeau’s day was his new short haircut. Trudeau also visited a family’s home in Ottawa to discuss a “climate stimulus” payment Canadians received from the federal government. A few neighbors gathered as curious onlookers, but there were no visible protesters there. Earlier in the year, a “Freedom Convoy” base camp was set up in Embrun during the blockades that occupied Ottawa for three weeks.
