Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came out on the defence of free speech on Friday, but the 48-year-old Liberal Party head stated it comes “not without limits,” adding that it should not “arbitrarily and needlessly hurt” certain communities.

Responding to a question pertaining to the right to show the caricature of Prophet Mohammed, as France’s Charlie Hedbo magazine, the Prime Minister stated, “We will always defend Freedom of Expression.”

The Liberal Party leader, however quickly added, “But freedom of expression is not without limits.”

The 48-year-old further said, “We owe it to ourselves to act with respect for others and to seek not to arbitrarily or unnecessarily injure those with whom we are sharing a society and a planet.” 

He then argued, “We do not have the right for example to shout fire in a movie theatre crowded with people, there are always limits.”

The Canadian leader however was quick to distance himself from the stand of French President Emmanuel Macron and advocated for the careful use of free speech.

The Labour Party leader added, “In a pluralist, diverse and respectful society like ours, we owe it to ourselves to be aware of the impact of our words, of our actions on others, particularly these communities and populations who still experience a great deal of discrimination.”

The Prime Minister however pleaded caution and added society is ready to have public debates on complex issues but in a responsible manner.

Trudeau also condemned the recent attacks carried out in Nice, France describing them as “awful and appalling.”

The Prime Minister also expressed his support for France who he admitted was going through difficult times.

“It is unjustifiable and Canada wholeheartedly condemns these acts while standing with our French friends who are going through extremely difficult times,” stated Trudeau.

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Earlier on Thursday, Canada’s Parliament had observed a moment of silence for the three victims of the Nice attack, in Southern France.

The issue of freedom of speech was raised by French President Emmanuel Macron last week during a tribute to Samuel Paty. The death of Paty, a teacher who was beheaded in Paris after he showed caricatures of Prophet Mohammed in class, has sparked an elaborate discussion on the freedom of speech.