The leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC) faced loud and persistent opposition at Sunset Point Park this afternoon while on a campaign tour, and opted to share his mic with one of the group members.
Maxime Bernier stopped in Collingwood today for a meet-and-greet at the public park; he was joined by Simcoe-Grey PPC candidate Adam Minatel.
Bernier started his campaign speech with a criticism of what he called censorship of free speech.
"The rights of Canadians to freely express themselves online are being eroded at an alarming speed under the Trudeau government," he said. "They want to censor so-called 'hate speech' and force social media companies, which are already censoring speech that isn't politically correct, to crack down even more."
Behind him a protester shouted "hate has no home here."
In response, a member of the PPC campaign team asked supporters to form a circle around Bernier to "block these people trying to get their message through." The team member told the protesters to "respect freedom of all people and listen."
People in PPC shirts followed the protesters around and both groups had several verbal altercations while Bernier and Minatel spoke intermittently.
Later, Bernier offered the microphone to one person "who does not believe in PPC."
"I believe in respect," he said, adding if they take his offer, his supporters would listen; he asked the protesters to listen without interrupting him later.
Day Merrill, co-founder of a group called Local Allies, took him up on the offer.
"I'm here to make things better ... spread the message that love is not only possible but necessary," she said. "If you are really interested in the PPC then take a look at the platform and see the people it seeks to discriminate against."
Bernier countered Merrill's argument stating his party is fighting for freedom for all people equally.
He said his party's position is to allow fewer immigrants into Canada, and focus on skilled labourers over refugees.
"We have to have fair rules for everybody," said Bernier. "We love culture, but we are against extreme multiculturalism."
He said he was asked in the last election how many of the PPC party candidates were LGBTQ or people of colour, and he said he didn't know.
"I don't know because we don't care," he said. "You are a human being, you are a Canadian for us. Everything is based on race right now, but they're the racists because they make everything about race.
"We will abolish racial politics," vowed Bernier.
He encouraged supporters to find 10 more people to vote for PPC in this election and promised to grow the party so it will be represented and recognized in mainstream media.
"My words are my weapons," he concluded. "I am asking you to do the same. To use your weapons and rebuild this country based on freedom and on western civilization values, not totalitarianism or socialism."
For video from the protest see below:
