'They have become more nasty': Laurier poli-sci expert 'disturbed' by election protests

Cambridge -

A swarm of more than 150 protestors showed up at a campaign stop for Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in Cambridge on the weekend.

The event was delayed for more than an hour as people shouted obscenities and blocked the entrance to the business where Trudeau was set to make an announcement about climate change. Some reported racial slurs being yelled and vulgar signs. One sign showed an image of Trudeau next to a noose.

This wasn’t the first heated protest along Trudeau's campaign route.

Last week one of Trudeau’s campaign stops in Bolton was cancelled because of a similar protest.

“They have become more nasty, a little less welcoming. So I’m a little bit disturbed,” Andrea Perrella, a political science associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, said about campaign protests in recent years.

“It is a little bit more aggressive than what we’ve seen in the past, absolutely. I used to look forward to campaigns. It was a fun time. It was like the Super Bowl for me. But now it’s a little bit less like a sporting event and a little bit more like a street fight,” Perrella said.

He said this type of behavior at campaign stops may impact the polls.

“They may want to cast an anti-protest protest vote,” Perrella said.

Some residents in Waterloo Region who spoke to CTV News had mixed opinions about how the recent protests would impact the election.

“Now there’s no common ground. Now the people that are going to support him aren’t going to listen to the people. I’m not going to listen to people that are screaming with a noose and racist comments,” said one resident.

“It’s terrible. We’ve got this sort of American-style rhetoric that’s going around,” one resident said.

Others said it won’t make a difference in which party they choose to support.

“I’d more vote based on policy,” said one resident.

Waterloo regional police said no charges laid in connection to the protest.

Experts said while some of the language used at these protests is similar to what is happening south of the border, they believe the issue goes bigger than just North America.

“The movement, the rage, the discontent, that’s global,” Perrella said.

Experts believe the pandemic has given some more ammunition for their anger. But these types of protests might become the new normal, post-pandemic.

“If the economy is still in the precarious state then there will still be the roots in place for more rage,” said Perrella.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative leader Erin O'toole. have denounced the protests.

Trudeau said while he understands the pandemic has increased fear and anxiety in many, he condemns any threats or use of violence, racism and bigotry.