麻豆影视

Skip to main content

'Anger that I haven't seen before': Singh harassment incident puts renewed spotlight on politicians' security

Share

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh鈥檚 recent encounter with protesters at an Ontario election campaign stop, where he was verbally harassed, is casting a renewed spotlight on politicians鈥 security, with Singh telling 麻豆影视 that he's witnessing a level of anger he hasn't seen before.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 noticing is true is that there is more of a polarization and an aggression and an anger that I haven鈥檛 seen before,鈥 he said while visiting a pro-choice counter protest to the March for Life demonstrations on Parliament Hill on Thursday.

Singh received a barrage of insults earlier in the week as he exited a rally for Ontario NDP candidate Jen Deck, who鈥檚 running in the Peterborough 鈥 Kawartha riding.

Several protesters at the NDP leader and called him a 鈥渢raitor鈥 as he made his way to his car.

Singh called it an 鈥渋solated鈥 incident, but acknowledged no person 鈥 elected or not 鈥 should be made to feel unsafe.

鈥淧eople should be able to be angry about policies that they feel strongly about. People should be able to express that, I think that's a fundamental part of democracy, but no one should feel physically threatened or menaced when they're a leader,鈥 he said.

Peterborough police are the event.

On his way to Thursday鈥檚 pro-choice demonstration, Singh was once again met by what appeared to be a few 鈥淔reedom Convoy鈥 protesters. While the encounter was not as aggressive as what he faced days prior, police did intervene.

With a security detail nearby, the NDP leader took a moment to reflect on the incidents and more broadly what it means for federal politics.

鈥淚 think about the message that's being sent to a lot of people out there that might consider politics and may not now, seeing that level of tension and aggression. And that's going to be a lot of the people that want to participate in politics, that are going to be discouraged and I think that's very dangerous,鈥 he said.

Asked whether additional security has been assigned to accompany Singh, a party spokesperson told CTVNews.ca it鈥檚 not something they can discuss publicly.

Several politicians have spoken out about the harassment levied against them while in office.

After being pelted with gravel during the 2021 federal election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it鈥檚 鈥渦nacceptable鈥 that people endanger others at a political rally. 

Following that, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner talked about her experience with both online and in-person harassment and death threats.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunately an all-too-frequent occurrence for me and many of my colleagues, particularly women, of all political stripes. And this increase in violent language, threats, and abuse certainly isn't confined to politics," she wrote.

Ahead of the arrival of the 鈥淔reedom Convoy鈥 protest in Ottawa in January, a top official who oversees security for the House of Commons, Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonell, issued a warning to MPs that they had intel suggesting protesters were planning to dox the homes of MPs who live in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

While the threat did not appear to materialize, McDonell had advised that if MPs saw a demonstration take place at their personal residence or constituency office they should not get involved and to 鈥済o somewhere safe.鈥

Then, as the anti-mandate and anti-government protesters became encamped in the streets surrounding Parliament Hill, security was ramped up for MPs coming through the precinct, including seeing the RCMP provide an escort service due to the heightened threat level.

"When things started to get tense, we determined that the threat was higher for parliamentarians walking to and from Parliament. We provided a staging area that allowed for parliamentarians to meet, if they so wished, to get driven to Parliament. We also provided additional security for the Senate," RCMP Commissioner the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency, on April 26.

During a House of Commons public safety committee meeting on Thursday, Liberal MP Pam Damoff asked the RCMP鈥檚 Deputy Commissioner Michael Duheme whether more could be done to protect the safety of elected officials.

Duheme said it can be a 鈥渃hallenge鈥 navigating these threats, as some don鈥檛 meet the threshold of an RCMP investigation.

鈥淲hen we do have a file with regards to potential threats, be it online or via phone or directly, we do engage with Public Prosecution Service of Canada to discuss the file and see if we鈥檝e met the threshold for these threats. It is a challenge, I can say from an RCMP perspective,鈥 he said.

The deputy commissioner nevertheless called the Singh incident 鈥渦nacceptable鈥 and said that the RCMP is 鈥渇ollowing up.鈥

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

opinion

opinion How to transition from renting to owning a home in Canada

In his column for CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew offers a step-by-step guide on how to make the shift from renting to becoming a homeowner, and what you can start doing today to help the process go smoother.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

Stay Connected