Friday’s riot in Montreal is proof Trudeau’s Canada is broken, Poilievre says
In an interview with The Gazette, Poilievre blames Trudeau for chaos in Montreal and a country in decline
The protest in Montreal last Friday that descended into violence wasn’t just a failure of leadership from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre insists, it was yet another sign that the Liberal government is on its last legs.
Speaking to The Gazette, the federal Conservative leader framed last week’s unrest as a symptom of a country unravelling under Trudeau’s nearly decade-long tenure.
“It is another confirmation of how everything is broken after nine years of Trudeau’s radical woke agenda,” Poilievre said.
The pro-Palestinian, anti-NATO protest, which saw windows smashed and clashes with police, led to three arrests. Montreal police have indicated that more arrests are expected. It also came just before Trudeau’s attendance at a Taylor Swift concert, sparking uproar on social media.
Trudeau condemned the protest on X on Saturday at noon. Speaking Monday at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Montreal, he said violent protesters should be “pursued and punished.”
“I must reiterate how deplorable it was to see the violence and demonstrations here in Montreal on Friday night,” Trudeau told approximately 300 NATO delegates. “We must ensure that the laws are respected and that there are consequences for all those responsible.”
However, Poilievre accused Trudeau of neglecting his responsibilities during a moment of crisis.
“I have no problem with him taking his kids to a concert. That’s everyone’s right,” Poilievre said. “But part of the job of being prime minister is you get called away from important family and other functions to do your job.”
When asked if he would leave a concert under similar circumstances, Poilievre was unequivocal: “Yes.”
“He has a travelling team that sets up an on-site office everywhere he goes. He should have said, ‘I’m going to put my friendship bracelets down, get my national security officials on the line, and discuss how we can respond to this chaos,’” Poilievre said. “Instead, he danced around.”
