According to foreign media, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was immersed in the performance by visiting the Toronto concert site of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour,” which continues in Canada as well as the United States, with his family. He had a good time with his fans around him exchanging “friendship bracelets,” which is a kind of tradition among “Swepties” (Taylor Swift fandom).
The problem is that violent protests took place in Montreal, Trudeau’s district. Protesters broke windows and started a fire in Montreal, which was holding a meeting of the NATO parliament. According to Canada’s CBC News, protesters set fire to dolls and took to the streets around 6:10 p.m. and attacked police with smoke bombs and metal barriers. Some of the demonstrators were also seen burning the image of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
As a result, Canadian politicians and social media criticized Prime Minister Trudeau’s move. The opposition Conservative Party criticized Prime Minister Trudeau for enjoying the performance while Montreal was burning. “Canada is over,” one SNS user said, sharing a video of the prime minister dancing. Another user wrote, “The city is on fire, but Prime Minister Trudeau enjoys the party like Emperor Nero of Rome.” Some say that Prime Minister Trudeau’s attendance at Swift’s concert despite criticism is related to his efforts to attract Swift’s performance. When Taylor Swift’s tour schedule was announced last year, Prime Minister Trudeau personally wrote to Swift that he hopes to see her in Canada. Prime Minister Trudeau’s move at the time drew attention as an example of the national leader himself taking into account the economic impact of the Swift concert.
Nevertheless, many say that his move is certain to further undermine his political prestige, which has fallen as soon as it has fallen. Prime Minister Trudeau has led Canada as the head of the government for nearly a decade, but has been embroiled in various gossip and scandals and has recently suffered from falling approval ratings due to continuous high prices and housing shortages. As a result, calls for his resignation have begun, with opposition parties joining the party, and he is facing a beleaguered situation.
According to a poll conducted by Abacus Data, a Canadian polling company, from the 17th to the 22nd of last month, nearly half of the respondents said they want Prime Minister Trudeau to resign immediately. Twenty-one percent of the respondents said, “I wish I could maintain my position as prime minister but not run in the next election.” Prime Minister Trudeau also issued a statement on the 23rd, a day after the protest, saying, “What happened on the streets of Montreal last night is shocking,” and “Anti-Semitism, intimidation and violence must be condemned.”
EJ SONG
US ASIA JOURNAL
