Pierre Poilievre is incensed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, over a social media post where he pleaded ignorance to Canada's identity crisis.
“You act surprised. We are reaping what you sowed?” Poilievre wrote in a lengthy post on to X on Saturday, following violent riots in Montreal the night before.
On Friday, dozens of rioters, including anarchists and pro-Hamas agitators, rampaged through the Liberal stronghold, wreaking storefronts and public property.
Trudeau, meanwhile, was partying with fellow Swifties in Toronto at a Taylor Swift concert.
“While you were dancing, Montreal was burning,” Poilievre said.
Poilievre says Trudeau's support for enforcing an ICC arrest warrant on Canadian soil of Israeli PM Netanyahu is shows he's "radical" and "woke."
"He wants to lock up the leaders of democratically elected countries, it's no wonder (he's) seen as a joke on the world stage."… pic.twitter.com/7WA9LKAzz7
During the riots, one person appeared to burn an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while others lit smoke bombs.
Trudeau threatened to have the head of state arrested, in line with a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Poilievre condemned the prime minister for those remarks as well, telling a reporter: “We need a leader who stands by our liberal democratic friends around the world – against terrorists and tyrants.”
“That’s the kind of leader I will be,” he said Friday morning.
Poilievre then pivoted to criticize Trudeau for opening up the borders to “terrorists and lawbreakers,” noting any critics were promptly called racist.
“And what is the result? … firebombings of synagogues.”
Following the massacre of 1,200 Israeli nationals by Hamas last October 7, supporters of their cause have allegedly burned down school buses, shot at Jewish schools, intimidated Jewish businesses, and more.
More of the same transpired Friday evening, when dozens of rioters hurled metal objects at Montreal officers, later arresting at least three people.
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) November 23, 2024Rebel News has reported on a number of increasingly hostile protests sympathizing with Hamas in Montreal and Toronto in recent months.
“There's been a lot of battles in Montreal [and Toronto] and in fact some of the craziest things so far have happened,” Ezra Levant, the Rebel publisher, previously said.
“There have been kinds of violence in Montreal we haven't seen elsewhere,” he added.
Trudeau appeared detached from the ensuing chaos, with concerns raised as to why he did not immediately release a statement. Around 300 delegates from NATO members and partner states are in Montreal through Monday for the alliance's annual assembly.
Trudeau did not release a statement until Saturday afternoon, where he condemned the violence and intimidation.
Montreal is in chaos as pro-Hamas supporters and radical leftists vandalize public property.
Who will put an end to this destruction?
Who will pay the bill? pic.twitter.com/dKE7d692Sm
Poilievre did not buy the apology, instead blaming Canada’s head of state for dividing Canadians for political expediency.
“On top of driving people apart, you systematically break what used to bring us together, saying Canada is a ‘post-national state’ with ‘no core identity,’” the Tory leader said.
“This is what happens when a Prime Minister spends 9 years pushing toxic woke identity politics, dividing and subdividing people by race, gender … religion,” he added.
“We won’t let you divide us anymore. Call an election now.”
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.