Protesters ready to greet Conservative leadership hopeful after 'thugs' comment

Peter MacKay will bring his Conservative Party leadership campaign to Barrie this evening and will be met with supporters and protesters alike.

The former national minister of defence is slated to appear at PIE Wood Fired Pizza Joint on Lakeshore Drive at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, for a meet and greet that is expected to last two hours.

The local event caught attention after MacKay made a video statement on his Twitter account Tuesday that referred to those blocking railways as thugs. MacKay said the economy was being “hijacked by a small gang of professional protesters and thugs.”

The comments come after protesters across the country set up blockades at strategic railway points to show support for the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs. The chiefs oppose a 670-kilometre natural gas pipeline that has been approved, without their consent, through their traditional territory in British Columbia.

Following a court injunction, police began to clear Wet'suwet'en camps that were blocking possible work for the pipeline, which led to the disruption of goods and services through the railway.

Environmental group The Leap Barrie is hosting a peaceful protest at PIE to coincide with MacKay's visit. Standing Up for Land Defenders protesters will meet at 5:20 p.m. outside the restaurant in hopes of showing solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en people. 

Leap Barrie's Michael Speers, who's helping organize the event, said MacKay's statement was racist and should disqualify the leadership hopeful from higher office. Speers also called out other leaders on their inaction.

“It’s unacceptable. There are too many politicians and so-called leaders who are failing when it comes to building a positive nation-to-nation relationship in the true spirit of reconciliation," Speers said. “Indigenous rights and Indigenous law must be respected.

"As a country, we haven’t done a very good job of ensuring this is the case," he added. "As a settler, I’ll shoulder that blame and we need our political leaders to do the same.”

Brandon Rheal Amyot will also be at today's Standing Up For Land Defenders rally. Amyot has not only extensively studied Indigenous issues at the post-secondary level, but is of Mohawk and French ancestry. Having been raised mostly in this region, most of Amyot’s elders and teachers have been Anishinaabe, giving the 23-year-old an educated opinion on Indigenous issues.

“It is very clear that too many politicians are making uninformed comments and it is very important for them to do their homework," Amyot said. "Their comments are not just incorrect, but hurtful as they cause a divide in a country that is already seemingly divided." 

MacKay's meet and greet is expected to get underway at 5:30 p.m. at 11 Victoria St.