Justin Trudeau swarmed by group of 'angry' protesters as he walked into Hamilton restaurant
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called a group of protesters who swarmed him outside a Hamilton restaurant on Tuesday a “handful of angry people.”
Video posted to social media, shows the prime minister walking into Jackson Square, a plaza located near James Street and York Boulevard, while a large group of people yell and swear at him.
Protesters confront police behind a restaurant in downtown Hamilton, Ont., where the Liberal Cabinet retreat is taking place, on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn)
In the video, uniformed officers are seen protecting Trudeau, ensuring he's able to walk through the street safely.
The small group of protesters can be heard screaming “tyrant” and “traitor,” while demanding Trudeau resign. Many of the protesters could be seen carrying Canadian flags.
One of the protesters was carrying a "We love the fringe" flag, a reference to when Trudeau called the people involved in the trucker convoy in Ottawa a "fringe minority of people."
The protesters also had an inflatable sheep, that appears to be wearing a mask, that says "99.8% survival rate," a likely reference to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Trudeau reiterated that he has received a warm welcome from most people in the city, where is he visiting for a Liberal cabinet retreat.
Protesters close off a street in downtown Hamilton, Ont., where the Liberal Cabinet retreat is taking place, on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn)
He was asked by a reporter if he felt the incident was a “secure situation.”
“A handful of angry people do not define what Hamilton is or what democracy is in this country,” he replied. “The welcome I've gotten here in Hamilton has been extraordinary."
“It’s really, really important in our democracy that people can express their disagreement or displeasure or even anger with various governments.”
Protesters yell at the door of a hotel, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is staying during the Liberal Cabinet retreat, in downtown Hamilton, Ont., on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn)
When asked if he’s holding fewer large, open events because of this anger, Trudeau answered no.
“We’re going to continue to be out there,” he said. “We’re not going to let a handful of angry people interfere with the democratic processes that Canadians have always taken pride in.”
Trudeau is in Hamilton for a three-day retreat with his cabinet. Health-care funding, in addition to the threat of a recession, were two topics being actively discussed.
CTV News Toronto has reached out to Hamilton police about the incident but has yet to receive a response.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.