Canadian Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Ya’ara Saks spoke Monday before Parliament and claimed the pro-“Freedom Convoy” phrase “Honk Honk” is code for “Heil Hitler.”
“I, like many Canadians, was shocked to see Nazi flags, Confederate flags — dismayed and angry and hurt, horribly hurt. So how many Nazi flags does it take? How many donors from the Capitol riots? … How many guns need to be seized? How much vitriol do we have to see of ‘Honk Honk’ — which is an acronym for ‘Heil Hitler’ — do we need to see by these protesters on social media?”
Saks said the protests have indicated that it is about something “deeper, darker and uglier” than the hardships faced by citizens during the pandemic, which she said has “threatened the stability of the House.”
“When will it be an emergency for you and your colleagues across the floor?” she continued.
“Honk Honk” has become a slogan in support of the protesters, in reference to the horns used to disrupt government officials until mandates are lifted. The slogan “heil Hitler” has historically been used by Neo-Nazis to celebrate white supremacy, according to Fox News.
Saks likely misspoke, since an acronym is an abbreviation of a word or phrase using its first letters, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Saks backed her remarks Tuesday by citing “antifascist” and “organizer” Gwen Snyder, who claimed that “honk honk” is associated with “Heil Hitler,” sometimes abbreviated to “HH.”
For those who think that “Honk Honk”is some innocuous joke. I’ll just leave this here 🧵 https://t.co/aG0GDdzOkO
— Ya’ara Saks יערה זקס (@YaaraSaks) February 22, 2022
A handful of protesters displayed swastikas and in one instance a Confederate flag during the demonstrations in Ottawa in late January, the Jerusalem Post reported. (RELATED: ‘It Simply Does Not Exist’: Leo Terrell Blasts Critics Of The Freedom Convoy For Pulling ‘The Race Card’)
Trudeau said the Conservative Party can stand by “people who wave swastikas and Confederate flags” at a Wednesday question period in the House of Commons.
“Mr. Speaker, Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas. They can stand with people who wave the Confederate flag. We will choose to stand with Canadians who deserve to be able to get to their jobs, to be able to get their lives back. These illegal protests need to stop and they will, Mr. Speaker,” Trudeau said.
Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, the first Jewish member elected to the House of Commons from the Conservative Party, demanded Wednesday that Trudeau apologize to her and all members of the House for his previous remarks, given that she is a descendent of Holocaust survivors.
Conservative MP Dane Lloyd demanded that the prime minister apologize three times and called his statements “the most shameful thing” he has ever witnessed.
“Mr. Speaker, the lack of apology from that prime minister speaks volumes,” Lloyd said Wednesday. “I have given this prime minister an opportunity to retract a shameful remark where he would accuse any honorable member of this House to stand with a swastika. We have colleagues who are the descendants of victims of the Holocaust.”
“Mr. Prime Minister, apologize!” he demanded.
The prime minister vowed to stand with Canadians “who deserve their livelihoods back.”