TORONTO – Ontario Liberal Leader, Steven Del Duca issued the following statement:
“Given how close several major hospitals are to Queen’s Park, and given how weak he has been on these protests so far, Ontario Liberals are demanding a plan to keep hospitals, schools and small businesses and their staff safe during the protest. Doug Ford’s Conservatives need to stop coddling and ‘blessing’ the antivax protesters and make sure Hospital Row is protected.
In a radio interview on Thursday, Doug Ford actually welcomed the protestors to Toronto saying if “people want to come down and protest, God bless them. I understand their frustration, I really do.” While Ford went on to “hope” the protests were peaceful, that just isn’t good enough. Doug Ford is trying to have it both ways with the antivax protestors, when a flood of trucks parked down University Avenue could prove deadly.
The situation in Ottawa has already shown what Toronto can expect this weekend. Days of horns blaring, confederate flags and swastikas being flown, unmasked antivaxxers shutting down businesses, and the desecration of monuments. Doug Ford hasn’t called Mayor Watson since the antivax mob took over Ottawa, and that occupation hasn’t ended yet. He also hasn’t passed John Fraser’s Bill 2, which would have created safe zones around hospitals, schools and childcare centres.
I have always been a strong supporter of Ontario’s truckers and I stand with the 90 per cent of truckers who are vaccinated and continue working. I have a very positive relationship with trucking associations, but the fringe groups protesting do not represent the majority of truckers.
The protests have turned vaccine hesitancy into leadership hesitancy for Doug Ford. He knows these are his supporters. He is watching what happened to Erin O’Toole, and he is scared to act on behalf of Ontarians as a result.”