The Canadian federal government has remained largley silent on the major protests erupting in China against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) and its zero-Covid policies, despite the swelling chorus of voices weighing in on the matter.
Ten people were killed and nine were injured in an apartment fire in the western city of Urumqi, which sparked extremely rare protests against the CCP. They were purportedly confined to their homes as a result of the most recent strict lockdown that state officials had placed them under.
Melissa Lantsman, the deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, tweeted her solidarity for the protesters in China who spoke out against their government. According to Lantsman, there are “stunning photographs being shared of protests unfolding across China, at a scale not seen in decades.”
Michael Chong, a conservative mp, praised the protesters and referred to the Tiananmen Square massacre in his remarks. “We remember the Tiananmen Square massacre of 5 June 1989. The world is watching,” said Chong.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Anita Anand, the minister of defence, and Melanie Joly, the minister of foreign affairs, are key cabinet members who have yet to address the protesters. Even though the Trudeau government has been pushing its much awaited Indo-Pacific plan to strengthen military and economic relationships in the area while shifting focus away from China.
However in July of this year Mélanie Joly expressed her support on social media of a protest that broke out in Sri Lanka which saw citizens stormed the Presidents home to demand he resign.
“The July 9th protests in Sri Lanka were a clear expression of the desire for a better Sri Lanka. Canada supports a peaceful, constitutional path forward that supports urgent action on economic and political reform. “ Mélanie Joly wrote on Twitter, Jul 12, 2022
Pierre Poilievre, the head of the opposition and the Conservatives, has also been silent regarding the demonstrations in China.
“Incredible scenes of defiance continue to emerge out of China. The human spirit can be trampled on by tyrants and dictators but it can never be broken.,” Conservative Senator Leo Housakos remarked, retweeting a video showing the vast scale of the protests in the Chinese region of Wuhan.
More videos have surfaced that show citizens being kidnapped by police with the help of undercover officers mingling and hiding within the crowds of protesters.
The man in this video is telling the people not to be afraid and stand up. A man wearing white pant, a light coloured jean jacket and a mask can be seen keeping an eye on the protester from a short distance before sneaking up behind him and grabbing him while the uniformed officers help quickly stuff the protester into a police car.
Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the NDP, has likewise stayed silent regarding the demonstrations in China. Despite being the most vocal and aggressive supporter of freedom during the pandemic, neither has Maxime Bernier, leader of the People’s Party of Canada.
Roman Baber, a former MPP for Ontario and contender for the Conservative Party leadership, blasted the legacy media and politicians in Canada for their silence regarding “Communist tyranny” against the Chinese people.
“It’s time for Canadian politicians to grow a backbone and stand firm with the Chinese people against Communist tyranny,” Baber wrote.
More on the protests in China
According to the BBC, one of their journalists in Shanghi was wrestled to the ground and arrested by Chinese police for video recording the protest.
“The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement.
Several tanks are spotted rolling through the streets in China as the protests continue to grow against the Communist Chinese Party and the zero-Covid measures and lockdowns.
According to another Twitter user who retweeted a post with an English translation that said “Tanks are coming through Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.”.
