Prime minister of Canada hit by stones on Campaign trail

During a campaign stop, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was pelted with gravel thrown by protesters.

After visiting a brewery, he was walking back to his bus when he was hit by small stones. He was not hurt in any way.

Mr. Trudeau called a quick election in mid-August in the hopes of securing a majority government for his left-wing Liberal Party.

Demonstrations over Covid-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions, however, have hampered his campaign.

A mob of irate protestors attacked the prime minister’s election rally just over a week ago, forcing him to cancel it. After the incident in London, Ontario, Mr. Trudeau told the media on his campaign jet that he may have been hit on the shoulder and compared the situation to when a lady threw pumpkin seeds at him in 2016. 

Two people on a media bus were also hit by the gravel, according to a reporter from Canada’s CTV National News. They were not injured.

The episode was described as “disgusting” by Erin O’Toole, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party. “Political violence is never justifiable,” he wrote on Twitter, “and our media must be free of intimidation, abuse, and violence.”

Mr. Trudeau’s vaccine mandate plans have become a hot topic ahead of the election on September 20. The government stated last month that all civil officials, including those working in federally regulated industries like rail, must get vaccinated by the end of October or risk losing their jobs. Passengers on commercial airlines, cruise ships, and interprovincial trains must also be vaccinated before flying.

Canada has one of the world’s highest Covid immunization rates.