Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s whistle-blowing day in the Ottawa region ended early Friday as anti-Liberal protesters gathered outside a brewery before he arrived. After uneventful stops in Gatineau Park in Quebec and two Ottawa suburbs earlier in the day, Trudeau was on his way to the Brasserie Etienne Brule 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. 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. Government sources confirmed that the presence of the convoy’s apparent supporters was behind the cancellation. The presence of a large crowd of people inside the restaurant increased the risk in the event of any escalation. 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., one holding a makeshift gallows with a noose and Trudeau’s 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. 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. Ahead of Embrun’s event on Friday, the big talk of Trudeau’s day was his new short haircut — a man at an ice cream parlor in the Ottawa suburb of Orleans was one of many to notice the cropped stubble and make a comment. 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 Voices of Freedom base camp was set up in Embrun during the blockades that occupied Ottawa for three weeks. For subscribers: Get exclusive political news and analysis by subscribing to Political information.
