While the handful of protesters in Bell Park today were loud and disruptive, they were outnumbered by the hundreds of people attending the historic planting of Greater Sudbury’s 10 millionth tree
While many had come to see Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Jane Goodall plant the 10 millionth tree as part of Greater Sudbury’s award-winning re-greening program, there were a handful of people who protested the prime minister.
Although there were fewer than hundreds of supporters attending the historic tree planting, about 20 protesters parked next to William Bell’s gazebo in Bell Park, trying to disrupt the ceremony with chants, shouts and placards.
In addition to the now-common “F–k Trudeau” banners, protesters shouted accusations at the prime minister, calling him a communist dictator and “blackface Hitler,” for example.
Protesters also had words for the media in attendance, yelling profanities at reporters from local news outlets and even following some journalists to shout obscenities at them.
Several attendees urged the protesters to show some decency, noting that there were children and asking them to stop using profanity. Others simply demanded that the protesters “shut up.”
One of the members of the Prime Minister’s security team spoke to the most vocal of the protesters and told him not to speak while renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall spoke. While the protesters complied with this request for a short time, the silence lasted for little more than a minute before they started chanting that she was a “pawn of the World Economic Forum” and that she was part of the “brainwashing on the amendment of climate’ through her role as an environmental activist.
Although he was barely audible over the chants from the group, Trudeau responded to the protesters.
“We live in the greatest country in the world,” he said, drowned out by the crowd afterward. “But one of the tricks of living in one of the world’s great democracies is that it’s not just about sharing your views, it’s about listening to others.”
Goodall also tried to speak to the protesters, but was interrupted several times by the protesters’ shouting.
“If you don’t have hope, if you don’t feel like your actions will matter, like these people who were calling out here,” she told the protesters. “You’re calling because you’re hoping that something . . .”
But she didn’t finish before one of the protesters shouted, “Goodall is a communist!”
“That’s right…” Goodall said scornfully, drawing laughter from the audience.
Goodall then noticed the few “Every Child Matters” flags that were in the crowd before they were cut down again.
“I see ‘Every Child Matters’ out there,” she said. “Every child and every individual matters, every choice matters and…” but she couldn’t finish again before being interrupted. However, Goodall answered once more.
“I agree with you, so if you could shut up for a second?”
And although the protesters were loud and occasionally drowned out the speakers, they themselves were drowned out by the applause of the hundreds who came to witness the event.
You can watch a video of today’s event below.
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