THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay-Superior North Liberal MP Patty Hajdu is taking security warnings about the potential risk from a convoy of anti-mandate truckers and hangers-on seriously.
Parliamentary Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonell issued a warning to members of Parliament after online solicitations for home and constituency office addresses were made online and amid the fear of that information being published ahead of expected rallies and protests in Ottawa.
“Solicitations were issued to the online community for members’ residential addresses in the Ottawa-Gatineau area,” McDonell said in his letter.
Hajdu said she understands the frustration of a nation that’s lived through the COVID-19 pandemic and under varying levels of restrictions and rules.
It’s challenging at the best of times, she said, reached by phone on Friday by CKPR Radio.
Hajdu pointed out that 90 per cent of truckers are fully vaccinated, but the convoy has grown to include people with a variety of different complaints about the measures that have been imposed.
“And it has also attracted people that are participating that in some cases have ulterior motives and have threatened violence against journalists and threatened violence against elected officials and threatened violence toward individuals in their own homes,” Hajdu said.
“That is never OK.”
Hajdu said Canada is a democracy and the public does have the right to hold peaceful protests and speak out over issues of concern.
But the former health minister, now the minister of Indigenous Services said threatening violence is never the answer.
“We do have security processes in place. Obviously Parliament Hill has a number of security processes and elevated security processes right now,” Hajdu said. “As a member of Parliament, I can say it’s disappointing.
“It’s disappointing to see people use this time of anxiety and stress as a way to foment that kind of violence against journalists and elected officials.”
In addition to the warning from the sergeant at arms, the Canadian Association of Journalists has also issued a warning to reporters and photographers covering the convoy, stating journalists have been verbally harassed, chased and sent racist death threats.
On Wednesday night, Dougall Media reporters in Thunder Bay were denied interviews, threatened with a trespassing charge, intimidated and called ‘dirty communists’ by some purporting to be among the convoy’s leadership. A veteran Canadian Press photographer posted on social media he was pushed, shoved and spat upon while covering the convoy in southern Ontario.
Some members travelling with the convoy, which numbers 113 trucks and 389 vehicles when it entered Ontario from Manitoba, have ties to the racist Yellow Vest movement, while others are associated with the Maverick Party, a western separatist group.
The convoy was met by hundreds of supporters as it made its way through Thunder Bay on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
The memo to MPS cautions them that should a demonstration arise at either their home or their constituency officer, not to get involved and to leave and go somewhere safe. They are told to avoid physical altercations and to close and lock all exterior doors, advise authorities of any demonstrations and not to inflame the situation with social media posts.
