Justin Trudeau and family move to secret location amid Canada COVID protests: Report

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family have left their Ottawa home and shifted to a secret location as security concerns rise amid protests in the capital, according to a CBC report. 

Amid security concerns, Trudeau and his family have been moved from their home, Rideau Cottage, to an undisclosed location in the nation’s capital, the report said, citing sources. The PM’s house is nearly four kilometres away from the epicentre of the protests. 

Trudeau is currently in isolation as he was a close contact of one of his children who had recently tested positive for COVID-19.

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Protests have erupted in the city, despite an extreme cold warning, in response to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions imposed by the government. Thousands flooded the capital in trucker convoys that converged on Parliament Hill, according to media reports. PM Trudeau expressed his concerns on Friday regarding the possibility of the protest by the ‘small fringe minority’ turning violent. 

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Some protestors reportedly held signs with obscene rhetoric, and police are on high alert due to the looming threat of violence. So far, however, the protest has remained peaceful.

Canada’s top soldier General Wayne Eyre tweeted in response to people dancing on the war memorial, “I am sickened to see protesters dance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrate the National War Memorial. Generations of Canadians have fought and died for our rights, including free speech, but not this. Those involved should hang their heads in shame.”

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Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand also condemned the incident, “The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and National War Memorial are sacred sites for our country. I urge all Canadians to treat them with solemnity, out of respect for those who have fought and died for Canada.”

The demonstrations, also termed ‘Freedom Convoy’, first emerged against the government’s vaccine requirement for cross-border trucks. However, these have now turned into large-scale protests against several COVID restrictions.