Canada’s prime minister has been pelted with gravel by anti-vax protesters during a campaign stop.
Justin Trudeau and his bodyguard were struck by stones in London, Ontario, in the latest security scare linked to the movement.
Last month, an event scheduled to drum up support ahead of the upcoming federal elections had to be cancelled because of safety concerns linked to people opposed to his Covid-19 measures.
Mr Trudeau played down the incident, saying he thought he’d only been hit on the shoulder and joked about previously having pumpkin seeds thrown at him.
The Liberal PM has taken on anti-vaxxers head-on, slamming his Conservative opponent for opposing vaccine mandates and describing anti-vax hecklers as ‘angry mobs’.
He accused rival candidate Erin O’Toole. of ‘at least taking some of his cues from the [the anti-vax crowd]’.
Conservative Mr O’Toole has previously refused to disclose how many of his own candidates are anti-vaxxers, saying ‘we will respect their personal health decisions’.
Canada’s Covid trajectory looks similar to the UK’s, having experienced a peak and then a drop-off over the summer before experiencing a fourth rise.
Around 74% of Canadians are fully vaccinated but a new spike is being driven by those who have refused the jab.
Canadians will head to the polls on September 20 to elect a new Government.
Opinion polls are very close, with the governing party – which has ruled as a minority since 2019 – narrowly trailing in some but scraping over the line in others.
His party is all but guaranteed a top-two place – but it remains to be seen if Mr Trudeau will secure enough support to form a Government and retain his position as leader.
A rolling Nanos Research survey of 1,200 people for CTV on Monday had good news for the incumbents.
They put the Liberals at 34.1% and the Conservatives at 32%. This is a reversal from a day earlier when Liberals were at 33.4% compared with 34.9% for Conservatives.
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