By waiting so long to address the fears of Canadians concerned about the protests, Trudeau was already on the back foot.įrom the convoy’s beginning, citizens had valid concerns about far-right violence or a repeat, in a sense, of the Jan. The words were forceful, but for many, they came too late. Do not stand for, or with, intolerance and hate.” “To anyone who joined the convoy but is rightly uncomfortable with the symbols of hatred and division on display, join with your fellow Canadians,” he said. The next day, the prime minister held a distanced press conference at his home, where he condemned the racism on display at the protests. (He’d also tested positive for COVID-19 during this period but tweeted he was feeling well.) 31, three days after thousands of vehicles and trucks had arrived and begun to harass Ottawa residents, to respond to the protesters-some of whom flew Confederate flags and displayed swastikas-by condemning them on Twitter. And in Trudeau’s case, the convoy crisis did not just “go to waste”-it actually harmed confidence in his leadership, both at home and abroad.Īlthough some outside observers might be surprised by Trudeau’s relative lack of communication, it aligned with the low-profile strategy he established from the first days of the occupation.

His only communication was a late-night tweet ensuring his government’s commitment to “do whatever is needed” to restore public order and protect Canadians.įormer British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s adage “never let a good crisis go to waste” may be trite, but in an age of political polarization, sound, unifying, and accessible communications have never been more necessary-especially when public safety is at stake. He did not hold a press conference, host a livestream, or make any media appearances.

Yet amid one of the largest law enforcement operations in Canada’s history, in a moment of incredible tension and division, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was absent from the public eye. Within days, they arrested and dispersed hundreds of participants of the so-called Freedom Convoy of anti-vaccine and far-right conspiracy theorists, who had occupied Parliament Hill for three weeks to protest pandemic measures, harassing residents and local businesses as well as inspiring similar occupations in capital cities worldwide. 18, more than a thousand police officers from across Canada moved into the streets surrounding the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa.

Trucker strike