Mark Slapinski
More than 13,000 people have signed a petition to have the prime minister of Canada charged with inciting hatred. This comes after Trudeau likened people skeptical or opposed to vaccines as “racists” in late December on a French language broadcast.
A petition demanding Justin Trudeau be charged with inciting hatred has gone viral. The petition is directed at David Lametti, the Attorney General of Canada, and demands criminal charges be laid against the prime minister. The creator of the petition, an anonymous individual, states that Trudeau’s comments have left them fearing for their safety. The petition adds: “these egregious statements were made for the purpose of promoting hatred and violence against an identifiable group, specifically; individuals who have not received any or all Covid-19 vaccination doses.”
The petition goes on to state charges of inciting hatred should be pursued. The Criminal Code of Canada prohibits hate speech, stating:
Everyone who, by communicating statements in a public place, incites hatred against any identifiable group where such incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace is guilty of an indictable offence punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, or of a summary conviction offence.
The petition has racked up over 13,000 signatures in a matter of days. Trevor Brewster, based in Edmonton, had some harsh words for Trudeau: “It was bad enough to be called a dangerous person for being a hard working, kind, blue collar tradesman. Now I’m being called a misogynistic and racist? I don’t think so, sock boy. Unlike you, my credentials were earned not honorary. Unlike you, I’ve held down multiple jobs across multiple industries for more than a year at a time.”
It is unclear whether charges of inciting hatred apply in this situation, and it is unprecedented for a sitting prime minister to charged with a criminal offence.
