Protestors throw stones at Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on campaign trail

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was hit by gravel during a campaign stop, reports BBC. According to the report, angry protesters threw the gravel while he was returning to his bus after visiting a brewery. There were no reports of any injury.

Canada will go to to polls after Trudeau called a snap election in mid-August, in the hope of gaining a majority government for his left-of-centre Liberal party.

His campaign has been disrupted in the past as well. People have been demonstrating against his COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions.

Last week, the prime minister was forced to cancel an election rally after a crowd of angry protesters ambushed the event.

Speaking to journalists on his campaign plane after the incident in London, Ontario, Trudeau said he may have been hit on the shoulder and compared the incident to when a woman threw pumpkin seeds at him in 2016.

Two people travelling on a media bus were also hit, according to a reporter with Canada’s CTV National News.

Leader of the opposition Conservative Party Erin O’Toole described the incident as “disgusting” and said that political violence was never justified. “Media must be free from intimidation, harassment, and violence,” he tweeted.

Trudeau has made COVID vaccine mandatory for all civil servants and it has become a key issue ahead of the September-20 election.

Last month, the government announced that all workers in federally-regulated sectors, such as rail, must be vaccinated by October end or they might lose their jobs.

People willing to travel by air, cruise and interprovincial train must also be vaccinated.

Globally, Canada has one of the highest COVID vaccination rates. According to The New York Time, 68% percent of all Canadians are fully vaccinated, and 75% have received at least one dose.

Canada has so far reported 1,511,212 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 27,006 deaths.