Canada: Justin Trudeau moves to 'secret place' with family amid anti-vax mandate protests

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday left Ottawa along with his family to a "secret location" after security concerns sparked over intensifying anti-vaccine mandate protests in the capital city, CBC News reported. The decision to evacuate the prime ministerial residence came after Canadian Parliament's Seargent-at-Arms warned that demonstrators could show up at official homes. The PM's office has refused to comment on the relocation of Trudeau, citing security reasons.

Anti-vaccine mandate protests in support of cross-border truckers began on Saturday when Parliamentary Protective Service estimated an amassment of nearly 10,000 demonstrators in the Canadian capital city of Ottawa. In addition, a convoy of truckers against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate descended to Ottawa, sparking an imminent violent turn of events.

While Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sholy on Wednesday said that he has been in contact with protest leaders, who affirmed peaceful demonstrations, Deputy Chief Steve Bell raised concerns about the presence of "parallel groups" that Canadian intelligence speculated.

"We do not know all the parallel demonstrations that may occur, and/ or the lone wolf individuals who may insert themselves into the mix for various reasons," Bell said. Meanwhile, PM Trudeau has condemned the growing anti-vaccine movement, saying that it is against the value of kindness of Canadians.

“The small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa who is holding unacceptable views that they are expressing does not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other, who know that following the science and stepping up to protect each other is the best way to continue to ensure our freedoms, our rights, our values, as a country,” Canadian PM Justin Trudeau had said, as quoted by CBC.

[Protesters and supporters against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers cheer as a parade of trucks and vehicles pass through Kakabeka Falls outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Image: AP]

Canada anti-vaccine protest

It is to pertinent to mention that Canadians launched protests against the vaccine mandate after the government launched a new requirement that truckers entering Canada have to be fully immunised as of January 15. This came after the US imposed an identical mandate on truckers entering the country.

However, as per Canadian Trucking Alliance estimate, about 15% of truckers in Canada i.e. about 16,000 are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Canadian opposition of Conservative lawmakers has supported the convoy, saying that the vaccine mandate has created a bottleneck for supply-chain, leaving store shelves empty in the country.

(Image: AP)