Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was dogged by protesters outside of 10 Downing Street in London, England on Monday, heckled for his continuing support of COVID-19 restrictions and his use of the Emergencies Act to quash peaceful demonstrations in Ottawa.
Trudeau is currently on a diplomatic trip to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine with world leaders.
Protesters outside of 10 Downing Street’s gates chanted “F*ck Trudeau” and waved Canada flags. Elsewhere in London, others held “puppet Trudeau” and “free Tamara” signs, the latter referring to Ottawa Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich, who was arrested as part of the police crackdown.
Instead of going in through the front entrance of UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s official residence, Trudeau arrived via an alternate route to avoid being confronted by the protesters.
In February, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history in reaction to nation-wide demonstrations opposing ongoing pandemic restrictions.
Soon after invoking the act, federal and provincial police established a militarized presence in Ottawa where protesters were arrested at gunpoint, beaten with batons and even trampled on by riot horses.
As a result of the Act, the federal government also froze and seized the accounts of those associated with the convoy by altering terrorist financing laws.
Trudeau’s decision to use the act was not only criticized in Canada but also received wide condemnation abroad.
Protests against Trudeau have also erupted outside the Canadian embassy in New York City, with a number of international politicians accusing the prime minister of behaving like a dictator.
Among those who spoke out against Trudeau was UK MP Marcus Fysh, who called Trudeau’s actions “authoritarian measures.”
“I am writing today to the Foreign Secretary to ask her what the UK is doing to discourage Canada from arbitrary & authoritarian measures against Canadian residents & their rights. We should do what we can to help our good friends there find a better way,” tweeted Fysh.
