Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family members were reportedly moved to a secret location Saturday over security concerns during countrywide protests against COVID-19 mandates in Ottawa.
The country’s officials transported the prime minister, along with his wife and kids, to an undisclosed location somewhere in the Canadian capital, sources familiar with the matter told CBC.
Trudeau’s itinerary for the day reported his Saturday location as “National Capital Region,” whereas usually it stated that the prime minister was in his Ottawa home.
Trudeau had been working remotely, as he was quarantining after one of his children tested positive for COVID-19, CBC reported.
Canadian officials have moved Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family from their home in Ottawa to a secret location over safety concerns after thousands of people protesting vaccine mandates flooded the Canadian capital Saturday.https://t.co/ah8Z3s2BLC
— Newsmax (@newsmax) January 30, 2022
The anti-mandate “Freedom Convoy,” made up of tens of thousands of Canadian truckers, entered Ottawa Saturday, prompting the officials’ decision, according to Newsmax.
The non-violent protests, while celebrated by Canadian public figures Jordan Peterson and Elon Musk, have drawn significant criticism from the country’s officials.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said that some of the protesters demonstrated signs of “flagrant extremism,” adding that the “Freedom Convoy” was “not about freedom,” according to CBC.
“I’ve never done anything like this in my life. I’m 53 years old and this is the hill I’m going to die on. Do not tell me I have to put something in my body,” Lorraine Commodore, one of the participants of the protests who said she lost her job for refusal to get vaccinated, told CBC.