Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed support for Chinese protestors demonstrating against government lockdowns, despite calling protests in his own country “worrisome.”
The prime minister said Tuesday that Chinese protesters are fighting for human rights by demonstrating against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “zero-COVID” policy. Chinese citizens’ frustration comes from the strict government lockdowns, which prevent citizens from leaving their homes for as long as 100 days, a lack of work bonuses and poor quarantine protocols and a slow economy.
“Canadians are watching very closely, obviously everyone in China should be allowed to express themselves, should be allowed to share their perspectives and to protest,” Trudeau said. “We’re going to continue to ensure that China will stand up for human rights and with people who are expressing themselves. We also need to make sure that China and places around the world are respecting journalists and their ability to do their job. We’ll continue to make that very clear.”
PM Justin Trudeau: “Everyone in China should be allowed to protest. We will continue to ensure that China knows we will stand for human rights and with people who are expressing themselves.” pic.twitter.com/aamrXlGuuS
— True North (@TrueNorthCentre) November 29, 2022
A few days prior, Trudeau said that Canadian protesters demonstrating for policy change is “worrisome” at the Emergencies Act inquiry Friday, according to the Post Millennial. He said protests should be used to “get messages out” and to oppose things such as “shutting down safe injection sites or something.”
He continued to condemn the “Freedom Convoy” protests held by truck drivers opposing the vaccine mandate in January and February.
“I think we have a robust, functioning democracy. Protests, public protests are an important part of making sure we’re getting messages out there and Canadians are getting messages out there and highlighting how the feel on various issues. Using protests to demand changes of public policy is something that I think is worrisome,” Trudeau said.
He added, “although, if you’re out protesting that the government is shutting down safe injection sites or something, you are asking for changes in public policy, but there is a difference between occupations and ‘saying we’re not going until this is changed,” in a way that is massively disrupting, and potentially dangerous, versus just saying ‘we’re protesting because we want public policy to change and we’re trying to convince people and get enough of them that politicians will listen and say i’m going to lose votes unless I change this.’ That’s the usual way protests can be effective in our democracies.” (RELATED: Canadian Civil Liberties Association Sues Government After Trudeau Invokes Emergencies Act)
In February, Trudeau deployed the Emergencies Act which allowed the Canadian government to quell the Freedom Convoy protests. The act is used in a national emergencies that “seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians and is of such proportions or nature as to exceed the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it” or “seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada.”
He also threatened to impose criminal records against protesters that would be a detriment to their “job” and “livelihood.”