Foothills MP John Barlow said the message from those protesting vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions atop Parliament Hill is "they want to be heard."
This, he learned through conversations with Canadians from all over after thousands travelled to Ottawa in a convoy over the weekend.
"People drove thousands of kilometres to be here," Barlow said. "Has the prime minister gone out there? No, he hasn't. Any ministers? No."
The "freedom convoy" originally started as a demonstration against a policy that requires drivers in the trucking industry to be vaccinated to cross into the U.S., but it quickly transformed to include those taking a stand against all public health restrictions.
Photos and videos from the weekend rally at the capital showed some protesters dancing, singing and maintaining the peace while others carried signs with Nazi symbols and desecrated the National War Memorial and a statue of Terry Fox.
Barlow said while he personally didn't see any swastikas or Confederate flags on Sunday, he's aware it was an issue Saturday.
"I am beyond disappointed," he said Monday, Jan. 31. "I unequivocally condemn hate speech, flags and symbols... There are hard-working Canadians protesting peacefully."
Barlow said demonstrators cleaned up around the memorials, put flowers down and built a "human barricade" to ensure they would be protected.
Reports surfaced of some demonstrators were harassing nearby business owners, including a homeless shelter.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday Canadians were "shocked and disgusted" by some of the protesters' behaviour.
"I want to be clear, we are not intimidated by those who hurl insults and abuse at small business workers and steal food from the homeless," he said in a conference where he also announced he tested positive for COVID-19.
"We won't give in to those who fly racist flags. We won't cave to those who engage in vandalism or dishonour the memory of our veterans."
Barlow said individuals protesting for the right reasons are in Ottawa, "But the select few here for the wrong reasons are getting all the attention."
Barlow said the prime minister's labels, such as racist, misogynistic, paints thousands with a "broad brush."
"They're up here with their families in many cases," he said. "These aren't Neo-Nazis or white supremacists. Are some of them here? Yes. If one person had a Nazi symbol, it doesn't make every person a racist. The prime minister wore blackface, does that make every liberal racist?
"Put things in perspective. Get out of your office or cottage and have a frank conversation. These are regular Canadians trying to do their job."
Trudeau made it clear Monday he would not be meeting with protesters.
Barlow said he too wants to see the mandates for truckers lifted.
He said costs are rising, grocery store shelves are scarce — especially in rural communities — and quality of food is poor as it's "taking longer to get products from A to B."
"The supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link," Barlow said.
With inflation, floods in British Columbia, trucking and rail issues and construction, labour shortages and more, Barlow said Canada is "teetering on a catastrophic supply chain collapse."
"We're dealing with multiple kinks in the chain."
