'Absolute disgrace:' Ottawa mayor blasts Conservative MPs for visiting 'Freedom Convoy' protesters
Ottawa mayor Jim Watson is calling on a Conservative MP to apologize for a supportive visit to the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protesters that have been occupying downtown Ottawa since Friday.
Conservative MP Kevin Waugh tweeted that he and some of the party’s Saskatchewan caucus members wanted to show their appreciation for the truckers.
“It’s great to see Canadians championing freedom on Parliament Hill,” he tweeted Wednesday night, along with two photos. Sen. Denise Batters and former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer were among the visitors in one of the pictures.
The tweet was met with a chorus of criticism from local residents. Mayor Jim Watson called it a “disgrace.”
“This is an absolute disgrace that you would come out and praise this illegal action that has caused stress and hardship to residents who have been putting up with horns blasting throughout the night and residents harassed for wearing a mask & businesses forced to close.” Watson tweeted “Apologize.”
The protest began last Friday and is causing gridlock throughout downtown, with businesses forced to remain closed and residents dealing with noise and blocked streets.
Watson told CTV News he was "outraged" when he saw the photo Wednesday night.
"They understand what our city is going through; the chaos, the turmoil, the stress," he told CTV News at Noon. "To go out there and do selfies in front of the convoy, is salt in the wound."
Watson reserved particular criticism for Scheer.
"He's a former leader of the Conservative Party, he grew up in Ottawa. He knows that Ottawa is not just a government town. It’s a town made up of wonderful communities, and these communities are under siege.
"To have these members of Parliament and one senator come and mug for the cameras is absolutely disgraceful."
CTV News has reached out to the Conservative Party and the MPs’ individual offices for comment. The other MPs in the photo were Warren Steinley, Fraser Tolmie and Rosemarie Falk.
A spokesperson for Falk responded with a statement saying, in part: "I reject the assertion that I, as a Member of Parliament, should not take the time to meet and listen to Saskatchewanians who have come all this way to be heard. The Mayor of Ottawa should instead call on the Prime Minister to step up and help bring a resolve to the ongoing protests."
Waugh's office declined an interview request and did not provide a statement. Batters's office declined an interview request.
The main group behind the protests has scheduled a news conference for early Thursday afternoon.
- with files from Hannah Berge, CTV News Ottawa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.