Health Canada gave government officials advice on what to say if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was criticized for violating public health orders to attend an anti-racism protest
In documentation obtained by Rebel News, Health Canada provided officials with various talking points if the media pressed about the hypocrisy of attending a protest while advocating for lockdowns.
“Prime Minister Trudeau and some of his ministers attended the anti-racism protest in Ottawa, which may lead people to believe that they are now safe from the virus,” the document says.
“During this ongoing pandemic, expressing one’s right to protest should be done as safely as possible by following local public health advice.”
In June 2020, Trudeau left self-isolation at Rideau Cottage to attend a massive anti-racism protest in Ottawa. Trudeau kneeled in front of a crowd of protesters while being heckled.
The protest was held despite bans on large gatherings at the time, which the government tried to justify by writing that “anti-black racism, racism against Indigenous people and racism against other minorities negatively affects their health and safety.”
The document advises officials to focus on the guidelines Trudeau did follow, such as wearing a mask, rather than discuss the inherent risk of attending a large, crowded protest.
“If pressed, the prime minister was following public health advice as he wore a non-medical mask, brought hand sanitizer and took the necessary precautions to limit his exposure to COVID-19.”
While Trudeau broke public health advice with no consequences, thousands of Canadians have received hefty fines for allegedly violating public health orders, even when no risk has been demonstrated.
On another occasion, Trudeau broke the guidance of the government and Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam by leaving Ottawa to spend Easter weekend with his family in Harrington Lake.
In February, True North’s Lindsay Shepherd revealed that there are no reports of any COVID-19 cases linked to large protests, including anti-racism protests and anti-lockdown rallies.
